Always & Forever
by triplehhholic
Summary: Their marriage was the perfect fairytale until an unwelcome obsession tests their love and trust in one other. Will it break their marriage apart or is their love truly for forever? HHH/Steph fic.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was the early hours of the morning. Stephanie tried to remain still as she lay tangled in the sheets and her lips were slightly curled in amusement as she heard the hushed, whispered voices at the bottom of the bed.

"Uh oh. Mommy's still asleep."

"Oh well. I guess I'll just have to eat the breakfast you made then. It would be a shame for all your hard work to go to waste."

She heard her daughter gasp out loud in dismay.

"No Daddy. You can't. It's a surprise for Mommy, 'member?"

"I remember short stuff. Tell you what. We'll wake her up then you can give her it."

"But won't Mommy get mad at us?"

"No because I happen to know that mommies aren't allowed to get mad on their birthdays. So go on. Wake her up."

She heard something get placed down on the dresser and she braced herself for what she knew was about to happen. She tried not to laugh as she felt the mattress begin to shake around her and she listened to her daughter giggle as she bounced up and down.

"Wake up Mommy! Wake up!"

Stephanie pretended to keep her eyes closed and she waited for her chance as her arm shot out to grab her daughter's ankle. Her heart felt full as she heard the loud squeal of laughter as she felt her baby girl fall down onto the bed. The mattress dipped low underneath her weight. Stephanie opened her eyes and was instantly met with a pair of wide hazel pools, eyes practically identical to her husband's. Her lips curved up gently as she felt her daughter's perfect arms reach out and wrap around her neck as her small, full mouth brushed a kiss over her cheek.

"Happy Birthday Mommy!"

"Aw, thank you Ellie." she replied as she tenderly pushed back the wayward curls that had fallen over her daughter's face.

"I made you a surprise. Do you want to see it?"

"I'd love to see it sweetheart."

As Ellie rolled off the bed, Stephanie pushed herself up the pillows and rested back against them. As she looked around the spacious room, she wondered where Paul had disappeared to. However, her attention soon turned back to her daughter who was standing at the side of the bed with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. Although Ellie looked the spitting image of her father with her hazel eyes and thick, blonde hair, she definitely took after her mother when it came to a number of her personality traits.

"It's gone Mommy and Daddy's taken it."

Stephanie smiled to herself realising what she meant. Of course, that would explain Paul's disappearance and she continued to watch with amusement as Ellie shouted out into the hallway.

"I know you've got it Daddy. Stop being a meanie and bring it back."

Ellie turned back round to face her mother, her cheeks flushed red with her exertions.

"Mommy, Daddy should get in trouble for taking things that aren't his."

Stephanie bit back her smile as she nodded her head at her daughter.

"You're right sweetie."

She deliberately raised her voice so Paul could hear her wherever he was hiding. "Daddy should get punished for what he's done to you."

A few seconds later, her husband's head had popped round the doorway and he grinned devilishly in Stephanie's direction making her heart flip in her chest.

"What kind of punishment are we talking about here?"

But before she could reply, Ellie walked to stand in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Where did you put the surprise Daddy?"

Paul rubbed his beard as he pretended to think and scrunched up his nose as he looked back down at her.

"Gee, I can't remember exactly."

Ellie snorted at him. "You're lying."

She turned round to look at Stephanie with her eyes big and wide.

"Mommy, Daddy's lying. I get into trouble if I tell a lie."

Stephanie tried to keep a straight face as she nodded her head in agreement, ignoring the amused smirk on her husband's face.

"I know sweetie."

"Does that mean he doesn't get to watch any television? I don't get to watch it when I've been bad."

Paul pouted his lips and batted his eyes as he knelt down in front of his daughter.

"I don't know. Maybe a hug might help me remember where your surprise is."

Ellie immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. She let out a scream and giggled as Paul lifted her up and spun her round to hold her by the ankles. Her hair flopped towards his feet as he walked towards the bed, lowering her carefully so she could see underneath.

"Do you see anything under there?"

"It's there Daddy. I can see it."

Paul spun her back round and threw her on the bed. He sat down and smiled at her as she giggled.

"Do you think you can get it by yourself?"

Ellie nodded her head vigorously. "Of course I can."

Paul smiled as she got off the bed and scrambled underneath. He turned round to face his wife and he started to crawl up the bed towards her, his brown eyes twinkling mischievously at her.

Stephanie smiled at him. "So? Am I going to get my birthday kiss now?"

Paul grinned and moved a bit closer until their noses were touching. "Oh I think I could most definitely manage that."

He gently pressed his lips against hers and began to kiss her slowly and softly.

"Ewwww!! You guys are kissing again."

He broke away and smiled at his daughter who was standing just in front of them, her nose wrinkled with her disgust.

"You got to kiss Mommy earlier." he told her. "It's my turn now."

"But you always take ages when you kiss her and I want to give her my surprise."

Paul laughed and pushed himself up off the bed. "Well Mommy had better close her eyes then."

Ellie grinned as she turned to her mother. "Yeah Mommy, close your eyes. And no peeking."

Stephanie smiled and she closed her eyes. She felt something heavy being placed down on her lap.

"You can open them now."

Stephanie opened her eyes and saw the breakfast tray in front of her. There was croissants and jam, a bowl of fresh fruit pieces, a glass of orange juice and a small vase with a single red rose. She looked over at her daughter and gave her a huge smile.

"This is beautiful sweetheart. It all looks so amazing."

Ellie gave her a grin. She looked very proud as she stood at the side of the bed. "Daddy helped me make it all by myself."

Stephanie held out her arms and smiled. "Can I give you a hug to say thank you?"

Her daughter threw herself into her arms and Stephanie hugged her tightly as she breathed in her clean smell.

"Thank you so much. I love it."

"You're welcome Mommy."

Ellie turned to look over at Paul.

"Daddy, can I go and see if Jake is awake yet?"

Paul nodded and smiled. "Sure. But don't pick him up okay?"

Ellie nodded as she ran out into the hallway. As he turned towards the bed, he saw Stephanie sitting looking at the tray in front of her. Paul walked across and sat down beside her.

"So, are you going to eat that or are you going to just look at it all day?"

Stephanie sighed and as she looked up towards him, he saw the sadness in her eyes. The same sadness he saw every time she was reminded that Ellie wasn't a baby anymore.

"Oh Paul, our little girl is growing up so fast. Before we know it she'll be dating and going to college and moving away…."

Paul reached for her hand as her voice trailed away and his fingers toyed with hers as he squeezed them reassuringly. "I think we've a while to go before any of that happens. She's still only five years old, Steph! And anyway, what makes you think she's going to be allowed to date?"

Stephanie chuckled as his nose crinkled with his disapproval and she shook her head at him. Paul was very protective of his little girl. God help any guy who ever ended up showing an interest in her.

"Listen, I'm going to go and get the kids ready. Why don't you eat your breakfast that your daughter lovingly prepared and I'll run you a bath."

Stephanie smiled as she cupped Paul's face with her hand. "Can I have bubbles too seeing as it's my birthday?"

"I guess so. But you can't stay in there for hours. We've got your party to go to remember."

Stephanie scrunched up her nose and grimaced at the reminder. Her parents had decided to throw her a birthday meal at their house which apparently included birthday cake and presents from everyone and that included her husband.

"Stupid party!"

Paul laughed. "Now, now Steph, that's not nice. Anyway, you're only saying that because you can't open your presents until then."

Stephanie stuck out her tongue at him as he stood up from the bed. He leant over and kissed her before walking out the door. However, a few seconds later his head popped back through.

"Hey, Steph?"

She looked up and smiled at him.

"Happy Birthday baby."

Paul flipped his wife a wink and blew her a kiss before he turned and walked down the hallway, his fingers raking through his long blonde hair as he pushed it back from his face. As he left the bathroom after taking filling the tub, he smiled as he heard the incriminating giggles coming from the direction of the nursery and that smile immediately widened when he saw the picture in front of him.

Ellie had somehow managed to climb in the cot beside Jake who was sitting in front of her mesmerised as she stacked up the small plastic coloured blocks in front of him. He watched with amusement as Jake's small chubby hand shot out and knocked the blocks all across the mattress. His daughter sighed and shook her head.

"Now that wasn't very nice was it Jake?"

"Yeah well it's not nice to break his cot either." he warned her. "So get your cute little butt out of there Ellie. You know you're not allowed in there."

Paul saw his daughter pull a face as she got to her feet. She leant against the wooden bars and held out her hands towards him.

"Lift me up Daddy. Please."

He lightly chuckled to himself as he walked across towards her and lifting her in his arms, he hoisted her up into the air. He heard her giggle as he held her above his head.

"Put me down."

"Only if you promise not to go in there again. You're far too big."

"Okay." she sighed dramatically.

Paul brought her down to the floor and smiled.

"So, are you excited about the party?"

Ellie's face erupted into an excited, beaming smile. "Yeah! I love going to parties. Can I wear my pink dress with the sparkles?"

"Of course you can. Why don't you go and find it and I'll be through in a minute."

He shook his head as he watched her run like the wind out the door. As he turned back round, he saw Jake standing holding the bars of his cot and looking at him with his big baby blue eyes.

"Hey little man."

Paul reached into the cot and picked him up placing a kiss on the top of his head. Jake's fingers instantly clutched his hair as he started to tug at it.

"You know you're pretty strong for a little guy."

As he adjusted him in his arm, he used his free hand to separate his son from his hair.

"So, are you hungry, huh? Do you want some breakfast?"

Jake started to garble. "Num, num, num."

Paul smiled. "Clever boy. See, you know what's important don't you?"

As he walked along the hallway, he met Stephanie coming out of the bedroom.

She smiled and reached up to kiss her son, brushing her fingers through his soft dark strands.

"Hey Jake. Has Daddy run my bath yet?"

Paul chuckled and shook his head. "He's ten months old Steph. He can't answer that."

Stephanie slapped his arm. "Smart ass. So, what are you two up to anyway?"

"We're just away to get Jake some breakfast. So why don't you take that pretty little ass of yours to the bathroom before your water gets cold and I'll go and feed our son."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. You're the best husband a girl could ask for, you know."

Paul smirked arrogantly. "Well, maybe you could show your appreciation for my caring ways later on tonight."

Stephanie shook her head in amusement and turned to walk towards the bathroom. She stopped halfway and watched Paul heading towards the stairs.

"Hey, Levesque?"

She smiled as he turned back round with their son.

"You've got yourself a date."

Paul grinned before turning back round and heading down the stairs. Stephanie stood for a minute and smiled before making her way to the bathroom, her chest already fluttering with anticipation at the thought of spending some alone time with her husband. Paul Levesque was the most incredible man in the world and she was definitely the luckiest woman. It was just so amazing that her life was so fulfilled.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hey Ellie, it looks like Declan is here already." Stephanie announced as they pulled into her parents' driveway and saw the familiar black Land Rover parked in its usual spot. She could hear her daughter's hands behind her clapping in excitement, making her smile.

"I like playing with Declan Mommy. He's fun."

"And full of trouble too." commented Paul quietly so that only Stephanie could hear him as he manoeuvred the car next to Shane's and parked.

She could only nod in agreement with her husband. Her nephew had become a handful that was for sure. Declan was always breaking things or doing things he shouldn't and getting up to all sorts of mischief. He practically had Shane tearing his hair out most of the time. But then there were those times he did behave and he was so good, he was an absolute angel. Although it seemed those times were becoming few and far between, especially lately.

"So Sleeping Beauty, are you ready to party?" asked Paul grinning through the rear mirror at his daughter.

Her big cheeks lifted as she nodded and grinned straight back at him.

Paul cut the engine and both he and Stephanie got out the car with him opening the back driver's door to carry Jake whilst Stephanie lifted out Ellie. As she placed her daughter down on the ground, Ellie let out an excited shriek when she spotted her Uncle Shane standing in the doorway waiting on them. She ran in his direction and he held out his arms, scooping her into the air and whirling her round before setting her back on the ground.

"Hey sweetie. You're looking extremely pretty today."

Ellie's happy face beamed back at him. "Thanks Uncle Shane. Daddy said I'm like Sleeping Beauty."

"Well I think Daddy is right. You definitely look like a princess to me and a very beautiful one at that. "

He looked up and smiled at Paul and Stephanie tapping Jake's nose as he sat happily cradled in his father's arms.

"Hey sport. You're getting big aren't you?" he commented as he stared in wonderment at the baby, lightly shaking his head in disbelief. "What are you guys feeding him? He's even bigger than the last time I saw him!"

Paul's shoulders shook with his deep chuckle. "God only knows! He just seems to keep growing."

Stephanie pinched her son's soft smooth chubby cheek and smiled affectionately at him. "You're going to grow to be big and strong just like your Daddy aren't you?"

As Paul stared at his son proudly, Shane smiled at his sister and pulled her into his arms.

"Happy Birthday Steph."

She hugged him back tightly and smiled. "Thanks Shane."

"So, is the guest of honour ready for her party?" he asked her as they broke apart.

"I sure am."

"Let's go then." he said offering her arm which she happily took.

Paul smiled and followed on behind them with both his children. As Ellie skipped beside him happily garbling on about finding Declan, he thought how nice it was that Stephanie and Shane were so close to one another. He was close to his own sister too but living in different states meant he wasn't able to be there for her in the way he wanted to, the way Shane was there for Stephanie. Their proximity gave him personal peace of mind knowing when he wasn't home or he was out on the road, Stephanie always had someone who would be there for her and he knew that the same was true for the rest of her family too.

Paul smiled as he reached the bottom of the hall and heard the deep boom of Vince's voice. Walking into the bright spacious sitting room, he shook his head in amusement when he saw the balloons that decorated the four walls and the large birthday banner pinned above the mantle piece. It was pretty clear that despite her thirty plus years, Vince still liked to think of Stephanie as his little girl.

Just then Jake let out a delighted squeal and Paul smiled at him, dropping a kiss in his hair and breathing in his fresh baby smell. "Are you excited to see everybody, huh?"

"Oh Paul, he really is a sweetheart." beamed Linda who appeared in front of them practically out of nowhere. "And I swear he looks more and more like Stephanie every time I see him. Can I take him?"

Paul nodded and passed the baby to Linda who walked off with him happily cooing and smiling at him as she bounced him affectionately in her arms. He shook his head and chuckled as he raked his fingers through his blonde strands knowing it had only been a matter of time before his son had been yanked away from him. The grandparents seemed to be in the habit of hogging the children whenever they came over to the house.

However, any thoughts of possessive grandparents were soon forgotten as he felt the pain that shot through his shin and lightly cursing under his breath, his big hand reached to grab the arm of the culprit. His long finger pointed at Declan as he squatted down until they were eye to eye and glared at him with a stern expression on his face. "Hey! You don't kick people. It's not nice."

"I'm sorry Uncle Paul." the young boy replied with his bottom lip sliding out into a pout.

"It's okay. But I'd better not catch you kicking me or anyone else, alright?"

Declan nodded his head and he ran off across the room as soon as Paul had let him go. He sighed as he straightened back up and absently wiped at his black trousers.

"Did I just see him kick you?" Shane asked as he appeared by his side.

Paul nodded and he sighed heavily as he pushed his short dark strands back from his forehead.

"Sorry man. God knows what we're going to do with him. He's getting completely out of control."

"You just have to be firm with him I suppose. That and keep him off the sugar." smiled Paul.

Shane managed a light chuckle in spite of his dismay. "We're seriously thinking of seeing the doctor about his behaviour. I mean you hear all the time about these kids that have a reaction to certain foods."

He pressed his lips together thoughtfully and nodded. "It's worth a try. In the meantime, just be grateful you've not got another baby vying for your attention. Ellie was a little brat when Jake was first born. She was so jealous of the attention he was getting from both Steph and myself…..."

Paul paused and his words hung in the air. He could see the slightly awkward expression on his brother-in-law's face and his brow crinkled with his curiosity.

"You got something you want to share with me Shano?"

Shane's brown eyes quickly scoured the room before he dragged Paul into a silent corner and when he looked at him he struggled to contain the beaming smile on his face. "We haven't told anyone yet but Marissa is pregnant."

Paul felt his heart swell with the genuine happiness he felt as he grinned slapping him across the back. "Congratulations man! When did you find that out?"

"Just a couple of days ago. We were going to wait until after Stephanie's birthday to tell everyone."

"Why wait? Everyone's here."

Shane's nose wrinkled with his uncertainty. "I don't know. It's not fair on Steph. It's her day and I don't want her to think we'd be stealing her limelight."

Paul's blonde hair shifted across his massive shoulders as he adamantly shook his head. "Shane, Steph is going to be nothing but thrilled for you. She won't mind at all if you tell everyone now."

He paused and gave him a conspiratorial nudge.

"Maybe a few years ago she might have thrown a little tantrum or two but I reckon you're probably safe enough."

Shane laughed and as he turned his head he saw Stephanie coming towards them. He quickly pressed his mouth shut, stifling the laughter back.

"So, what's going on over here?" she asked flicking her hair over her shoulder and peering suspiciously between the two men.

Paul reached for her and sliding his arm around her waist, he pulled her close to him to brush a kiss over her temple. "I was just telling Shano how I lucky I am. I mean baby, you are without doubt the most beautiful woman on the face of this planet."

Despite the sincerity she could see in his deep brown eyes, Stephanie knew her husband. She also knew her brother and the shifty expressions they both wore when they saw her standing here. It was enough to tell her what she already suspected.

"What are you hiding from me?" she asked.

Paul's mouth parted as he pretended to be offended by her comment. "What do you mean what I am I hiding? Can't I pay my wife a compliment now?"

"Of course you can but I know the two of you far too well." she smirked back at him. "You both look far too guilty for my liking. So spill it Levesque. What's going on or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"You'd like that wouldn't you! Any excuse to lay your damn hands on me!" he teased.

Shane laughed at the flushed expression that appeared on his sister's face and decided to come to her rescue. "If we tell you, you have to promise not to say a word."

Stephanie nodded as she quickly gathered her composure. "So, come on." she said impatiently. "What's the big secret?"

"Marissa is pregnant."

Stephanie's big eyes sparkled with her joy as she let out a scream of excitement.

Paul quickly covered her mouth with his hand before she attracted any attention and pulling her to him, he looked at Shane and smirked. "See, I told you she would be thrilled."

Stephanie's brow furrowed instantly as she batted her husband's hand away and placing her hands on her hips, she glared at her brother. "How come you told him first and not me? Your own sister!"

Her husband chuckled and shook his head spinning her round to face him. "Stop giving your brother a hard time. He's going to be getting it the neck from Marissa when she finds out he's spilled the beans without her. He doesn't need you on his case as well."

Just then he glanced over at Shane and snorted with amusement at the dismay that flickered across his brother-in-law's face.

"You never thought about that one, did you Shano?"

"No I damn well didn't."

Stephanie's mouth had parted to say something when her father's voice interrupted her.

"Stephanie, would you like to start opening your presents?"

"Yes, open your presents Mommy! I love presents!"

The room was filled with laughter as everyone turned to see Ellie practically bouncing on the spot filled with excitement at the thought of seeing what was inside the beautifully wrapped gifts.

Stephanie scooped her up into her arms and hugged her daughter close. "Will you help me open them?"

Ellie's wayward curls bobbed around on her head as she nodded. "Sure Mommy!" Her wet rosy lips pressed down firmly against her mother's cheek. "I love you Mommy."

Stephanie's blue eyes softened as she smiled tenderly back at her. "I love you too baby. Now let's go and make a start to these presents."

A few hours later Stephanie was sitting in the car as they drove home. The tune on the radio was playing in the background as the wipers rhythmically moved across the windshield moving the light drizzle that had started to fall. She glanced across at her husband lightly squeezing his thigh and feeling the hard muscle that rested under the thick material of his trousers.

"Thank you for my present. I loved it." she told him.

Paul briefly turned his attention from the road to smile back at her warmly. "You're welcome baby."

As his fingers absently tapped against the steering wheel, Stephanie's hand gently rubbed over his leg. Her other hand lifted to touch the delicate diamond pendant that decorated her long neck. She loved it and once again her husband had picked the perfect gift along the matching earrings that had been tagged as being from Ellie and Jake. Thinking of her children, a slow smile crossed her face as she let her head fall against Paul's shoulder.

"It was nice of Mom to have the kids for us tonight."

"Yeah it was because I've got plans for you, McMahon."

Stephanie lifted her head and smiled at her husband. "That's Levesque, thank you very much. And may I ask what these plans of yours involve?"

"You can ask but I'd think I'd rather just show you when we get home."

Stephanie swallowed thickly as his thick fingers moved to her leg and crept under the hemline of her dress, rubbing the soft flesh of her inner thigh as the burning heat pooled between her legs. His thumb lightly traced over the edge of her lace underwear tempting her even further. "Can't this damn car go any faster?" she hissed.

Paul's deep chuckle only fuelled her desire as Stephanie squirmed impatiently against his touch noticing with relief that they had turned into the street of their private gated village. She briefly noticed the soft glow of the lights in the large house on their right. It was a house that up until now had been vacant for months.

"It looks like we've got new neighbours." she commented as they pulled into their driveway with the metal gates opening to let them through and the car rumbled through the gravel.

Paul glanced over at his wife as the tyres gave out a screech and he sped over towards the garage. "Steph, right now I don't give a rat's ass about any new neighbours."

The car jolted to a stop as he slammed on the brakes and switched off the engine. Stephanie watched with amusement as Paul got out of the car and within seconds was opening her door, lightly gripping her arm to help her out.

"My, my! Someone's awfully impatient tonight." she grinned.

"You're damn right I'm impatient." he growled as his eyes flickered with his desire and he tugged on her arm making her stomach pool with her own excited anticipation of what was in store for her. "Now get out of the car unless you want our new neighbours to get a peep show."

Stephanie laughed as she swung her legs over the seat and screamed in surprise as Paul lifted her out. He adjusted her in his arms as her legs hung over his thick forearms and closing the door with his hip, he carried her towards the house. Stephanie leaned into him breathing in his cologne and feeling her body tingle all over. It looked like her celebrations were going to carry on into the wee small hours and she certainly wasn't complaining. It would be an absolutely perfect end to a perfect birthday.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Stephanie shook her head as she surveyed the pieces of chewed up cookie that lay scattered all around the bottom of highchair and could only stand and smile at the state her son was in. He had chocolate all over his face and hands and he was sucking furiously at the tiny piece of biscuit he still held in his chubby fingers. "Jake Levesque. Look at the mess you've made."

Jake gave her a big grin as he held out the perfect hand which held the cookie. "Num, num num."

Her lips curved up gently as she smiled back at him. "You're enjoying that, huh? You like it when daddy sneaks you cookies don't you."

Jake waved his hands up and down as he squealed with excitement.

"Yes you do. Well I hope Daddy realises he's the one that has to clean up this mess."

Stephanie's nose scrunched with her distress as she surveyed the damage to her freshly washed floor. She glanced up to see her daughter sitting at the kitchen table scribbling away with her crayons. "What are you making there Ellie?" she asked her as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

Ellie looked up and smiled. "I'm drawing a princess."

Stephanie frowned as she instantly spotted the tell-tale chocolate smudges around her daughter's mouth too. "I see you've been eating. You know the rules Ellie. No snacking just before dinner."

The little girl threw down her crayon on the table in dismay. "But Mommy, it wasn't my fault. Daddy said I could have one."

Stephanie raised her brow in quiet surprise as Ellie clambered down from the table. "Oh he did, did he?"

"Yes Mommy. He said if I ate it real quick you wouldn't find out."

She felt her lips twitch with that admission and she bit down on her lip trying her best not to smile as her daughter stood in front of her. "Well Daddy is in deep trouble for doing that."

"Can I go and tell him Mommy?"

"Yeah and while you're at it, tell him he'd better get in here and clean up Jake."

Ellie's feet scampered across the floor as she raced through to the living room and up the stairs to her parents' bedroom. She knew her daddy had gone up there to get changed after being down in his gym. He was pulling on a t-shirt as she ran into the room.

"You're in trouble Daddy. Mommy knows." she panted.

Paul turned round at the sound of her voice and raking his big hand through his damp blonde strands, he smiled at his daughter who was looking at him with a worried expression on her face. He chuckled as he walked across and leant down to wipe away the smudges with the pad of his thumb. "I guess the chocolate gave the game away, huh?"

Ellie nodded her head as her big brown eyes stared back at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell."

He smiled at her affectionately tapping her nose. "Hey, don't worry about it short stuff."

Paul turned his attention from his daughter as he walked across to the dresser and smoothing his hair back over his head, he pulled his damp strands into a ponytail.

"Mommy says you've to clean up Jake. He's a real mess Daddy. There's cookie everywhere."

He chuckled as he scooped up Ellie in his arms. "There is? Well I'd better go and face the music I guess."

Her small hand rested on his shoulder as he carried her along the hallway and down the stairs.

"Do you promise to save me if Mommy gets too mad?" he asked her.

Ellie giggled and shook her head. "But I can't save you silly. I'm only five."

Paul wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue at his daughter. He walked into the kitchen and grinned when he saw the state his son was in. "You were right Miss Ellie. Your brother is in a mess."

"And I wonder whose fault that is?"

Paul turned round to see Stephanie standing behind him with her hands on her hips. He looked back at Ellie and his brown eyes went wide as he pretended to look scared. "Uh oh!"

She giggled once more as Paul placed her down on the floor and when he straightened back up, he saw Stephanie standing directly in front of him.

"So what do you have to say for yourself?"

His lips curled into a smirk as he lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I didn't mean to do it?"

"Don't get smart now. Your daughter's standing right in front of you. Do you want to set her a bad example?"

Paul tried to keep a straight face as he saw the twinkle in Stephanie's eyes that betrayed the stern expression on her face. "No Ma'am."

"Good. So I'm assuming you have something to say now."

Paul rolled his lips together thoughtfully pretending to ponder over that for a moment as he scratched at his chin. "I'm sorry?" he pouted.

Ellie giggled and Stephanie looked at her daughter and shook her head. "It's not funny now. Daddy should know better."

"I'm sorry Mommy. Is Daddy going to get punished?"

"I don't know sweetie. Look, why don't you go and wash up. Dinner will be ready in five minutes."

"Okay."

Ellie turned round and raced out of the kitchen. Stephanie looked back up to see Paul grinning at her.

"It's not funny Paul. You know the rules. The kids don't get any snacks before dinner."

Paul sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. "Okay. Point taken!" he conceded.

His lips brushed over hers as he kissed her softly.

"So, am I forgiven yet?"

Stephanie tried to maintain her stern expression as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

"Well how about now?" he smiled as his mouth moved to her neck. His lips nipped at the smooth skin and his tongue flicked out to taste her causing Stephanie to moan softly.

"Okay. You're forgiven."

"I am?" asked Paul as he lifted his head, lightly shaking it in disbelief. "Damn woman, that was far too easy. You could have at least tried to resist a little bit longer."

She shoved at him playfully as she rolled her eyes. "Just go and clean up your son will you?!"

His deep laughter filled the kitchen as he wandered over to the high chair. "Hey, little guy."

Jake squealed as he threw a small piece of cookie to the ground.

Paul chuckled and shook his head. "You're meant to put it in your mouth, not on the floor." He unclipped the belt that held his son in and lifted him up. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

He sat him down on the kitchen counter, pushing him back from the edge as he grabbed some wipes that were always to hand and began to clean his son's face and hands.

Stephanie smiled at them as she began to serve up the dinner. "Oh I meant to tell you. I met our new neighbour today when I took Jake for a walk."

"You did huh?" Paul replied turning to grin at her mischievously. "And I bet you managed to get every single detail out of them like who they were, what they ate for dinner last night…..."

Stephanie scowled back at him but her eyes twinkled with her amusement. "As a matter of fact, I didn't have to. Smart ass."

But Paul seemingly wasn't paying attention as he smiled at Jake and tickled his sides making the baby burst out in giggles.

"So aren't you going to ask me who they are?" prompted Stephanie impatiently as she held the serving spoon in her hand.

"Who are they, honey?"

She stuck out her tongue in response to her husband's obvious sarcasm but it didn't deter her from telling her story as she continued to scoop the spaghetti onto the plates. "Well it's a funny story. It turns out it's a guy I used to know. His name is Mark and I can't believe he's got two kids now. They're both girls and I think they're similar ages with Ellie and Jake actually."

"So the guy is married?"

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug as she tossed the empty pan into the basin and turned on the faucet. "He didn't say but he did tell me that the girl's mother didn't move here with them. In fact Mark doesn't have a clue where she is. Apparently she suffered from post-natal depression and one day she just upped and left them. Mark hasn't heard from her since."

"Really? I guess that's got to be tough on the guy."

"Yeah."

"So how come you know him anyway?"

"Oh we went to the same school."

Just then Ellie ran back through and interrupted them as she held out her hands for inspection. "Look Mommy, I'm all clean."

"Good girl." Stephanie smiled proudly "Now hop up on your seat. Dinner is ready."

As Ellie went to sit down, Paul picked up Jake from the counter and kissed his chubby cheek.

"There you go buddy. You're all clean."

Stephanie began to serve dinner. "By the way I invited Mark and the kids over here tomorrow."

Paul screwed up his nose in confusion as he looked at his wife wondering when she had suddenly become so hospitable. They weren't in the habit of entertaining especially with the crazy schedule he had. "And why would you do that?"

"They're our new neighbours, Paul. I just wanted to make them feel welcome."

"And since when did we care about our neighbours?"

Stephanie sighed heavily as she put two more plates down on the table. "Since our neighbours happen to include an old friend of mine. Besides I wanted to, okay? I guess I just felt sorry for them. It's obvious the guy has a hard time of things."

"Yeah well you know you're too soft hearted for your own good sometimes."

Stephanie sighed at that comment knowing it was the truth and slid her arms around her husband's waist as she looked up at him. "But you love me for it, right?"

"Oh you know I do." Paul grinned.

Jake squealed as he kissed Stephanie gently on the lips. As she broke their embrace to finish serving dinner, Paul smiled at their son distractedly. He couldn't help but be bothered by the fact he hadn't met this Mark guy in his life before but he was suddenly invited into his home, his private home. It made him dislike the dude already and although he knew he was being extremely petty, he couldn't help himself. Not only did it sound like this guy had literally poured his heart out to his wife, he was also intruding on his own personal time with his family. He was flying out to RAW tomorrow night and would be gone for the next three days. It would have been nice to have spent the day alone with his girls and not entertaining other people. He'd just have to hope that by the time he got back next week, the novelty of the new neighbours would have well and truly worn off. In the meantime, he'd just have to make the best of tomorrow and suck it up.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"They're here Daddy." announced Ellie excitedly as she ran into her parent's bedroom but her bright smiled immediately faded when she saw the open, packed holdall lying on top of the king

"Are you going away again?" she asked sadly as her bottom lip pouted at her father.

He smiled at her affectionately from the opposite side of the room. "I'm afraid so sweetie but I'll be back in just a couple of days."

Ellie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, taking no solace in the shortness of his trip. "I don't like it when you're gone." she said. "Can't Grandpa let you stay here?"

Paul chuckled and walked over to the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight as he sat down on the edge and his hand reached towards his daughter. "Come here."

Ellie clambered up and sat on his lap letting out a long sigh. "I just miss you Daddy."

"I know. And I miss you, Jake and Mommy too. But I've got to go to work. You know that, don't you?"

She pressed her lips together and nodded her head. "I know. And it is pretty cool having a famous Daddy. All the kids like me at school."

Paul laughed and kissed the top of her head inhaling the faint scent of her strawberry shampoo. "I'm sure they like you for more reasons than that."

"Well Brad says I throw a mean ball for a girl."

"Brad is right. Just ask the kitchen window."

Ellie giggled as Paul playfully poked her in the ribs. "That was an accident Daddy. I told you."

"I know."

He scooped her up in his arms as he got to his feet and adjusted her weight.

"Well, we'd better get down there before Mommy comes looking for us."

Ellie nodded as Paul left the room and carried her towards the stairs.

"Jamie is pretty cool, Daddy. I think I like her the best and Chloe just cries. Jakey doesn't cry like that."

Paul grinned as he listened to her. However his grin quickly faded as he walked into the living room and saw the picture in front of him. For some reason it completely unsettled him and he wasn't sure why until he took a moment to figure it out. The guy who must be Mark held Jake on his knee as he sat beside Stephanie on the sofa. They appeared to be looking through one of their photo albums but that wasn't what ticked him off. What ticked him off was Mark. The guy couldn't get any closer to his wife if he tried. In fact he was practically sitting on top of Stephanie, that's how close he was to her. Then there was his line of vision and the fact he was practically leering at his wife's breasts.

"Daddy's here!" Ellie announced proudly.

Paul placed her down to the floor and she ran across the sofa as Stephanie looked up and smiled brightly at her husband. She noticed the way he was staring at Mark and it was less than friendly but she decided to ignore it. Instead she put down the album and stood up. Mark quickly followed her.

"Mark, this is my husband Paul. Paul, this is Mark."

Mark shifted Jake to his left arm and held out his right hand. "I'm pleased to meet you Paul. Stephanie's told me a lot about you although she failed to mention how huge you were."

Paul gave Mark a small smile as he took the hand offered to him. "It helps with the line of work I'm in."

Jake immediately started to squirm as he realised it was his Daddy standing in front of him. His chubby arms shot out and he squealed to get Paul's attention.

Mark laughed at Stephanie. "He sure likes his Daddy, huh?"

"Of course he does. Jake is Daddy's little boy."

He held out Jake to Paul. "There you go buddy. Go see Daddy."

Paul took Jake in his arms and his son nestled into his chest. He smiled knowing exactly what it meant. "Are you tired little man?"

Stephanie walked across and stroked Jake's cheek with her hand. "I guess he is. I suppose it is his nap time."

"I'll take him upstairs and see if he'll fall over." Paul offered and smiling at Stephanie, he made his way upstairs with Jake in his arms. He softly kissed the top of his head and breathed in his familiar baby smell.

"We don't like Mark, do we?" he hushed into his soft cheek.

Jake garbled as he lay him down in his cot. Paul smiled as he smoothed back his son's hair from his forehead.

"Do you want Daddy to beat him up?"

Jake smiled as if in agreement but within a second his eyes started to close and his smile faded. Paul placed his finger in son's hand and the corner of his mouth curled upwards as he grabbed on to it and quickly fell into a deep slumber. As the baby's low even breathing began to fill the room, Paul lingered by the cot feeling no hurry at all to leave the nursery. In fact he was tempted to hide out here until that jerk Mark left his house.

And while he knew he was being ridiculous, he couldn't help himself. There was just something about the guy he didn't like. And it wasn't the fact he'd caught him ogling at his wife. Sure, it had pissed him off but he was well aware that Stephanie was a beautiful, sexy woman with an incredible body. God knows, he'd memorised every single inch of her and it wasn't the first time he'd caught some guy checking her out. And honestly, it wasn't an issue with him. Looking was a natural instinct as far as he was concerned and at the end of the day, he trusted Stephanie and he was completely secure in their relationship. It was just Mark he didn't trust and he was well aware how pathetic that sounded especially when he barely knew the guy. And right at this minute, he was in no hurry to rectify that situation. Instead Paul pushed all thoughts of Mark from his mind as he glanced affectionately at his son content to just stand there and watch him sleep…………

"You've got a beautiful family Stephanie. You really do. Paul is one lucky guy."

"Oh I'm the lucky one." Stephanie smiled as she stood up to clear away the coffee cups from the table. She was completely unaware that Mark's eyes followed her intently as she walked through to the kitchen. That was until Ellie stood in front of him and diverted his attention.

"My daddy is a wrestler. He's Triple H." she announced proudly.

"Is he? I've never heard of him."

Jamie, a slender built girl with a pretty face, came over and nudged Ellie. "My dad doesn't watch wrestling but I do. I think your daddy is cool Ellie."

Ellie beamed happily at her new found friend. "You do? Is he your favourite wrestler?"

Jamie offered her a small reluctant smile. "Not really. I like HBK."

"Oh I like Shawn too. He sometimes comes over to our house, you know. Maybe you can meet him."

Stephanie walked in and smiled as she heard Jamie shriek loudly at the top of her voice. Mark grinned in her direction.

"I hear you have a famous husband. I didn't know."

"My daddy is the best. He kicks ass." exclaimed Ellie.

Stephanie looked at her daughter with a stern expression on her face. "Ellie! You know you're not allowed to say that."

"Now Steph, you can't have a go at our daughter, not when we've always encouraged her to tell the truth."

Stephanie whirled round to see Paul standing smirking behind her. "Nice to see you've decided to join us after all."

Paul lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "It took a while for Jake to settle, that's all. He must have been excited about meeting our new neighbours"

Stephanie narrowed her eyes in a discreet warning to her husband hearing the sarcastic lilt to his tone before she turned back round to smile at Mark and sat down on the sofa.

"Daddy, can we show Jamie the gym?" asked Ellie as she and Jamie stood in front of Paul. "She likes Shawn and I told her he hangs out there sometimes."

Mark stood up and interrupted the conversation before he could reply.

"Jamie, we need to go honey. Maybe you could see it another time."

Jamie scowled at her father. "But Daddy, can't we stay?"

"I said no, Jamie. Chloe needs to get fed and changed plus Grandma is coming over for dinner, remember?"

Jamie pouted as Mark picked up Chloe who was sleeping in her carry seat.

Stephanie smiled at him. "Well, thanks for coming over."

"Thanks for inviting us. I'll pick Ellie up in the morning if that's okay?"

Stephanie nodded. "That's fine and thank you. It helps a lot especially when I've got Jake's doctor's appointment"

"No problem." He called out to Jamie as they walked to the front door. "Come on Jamie. It's time to go."

As they reached the front door, Mark turned to smile at Paul who was standing watching him with Ellie by his side.

"Bye Paul, bye Ellie. It was nice to meet you."

Paul raised his hand in a wave and watched as they walked out the door.

As soon as Mark was out of sight, he turned straight round and walked through to the kitchen with Ellie hot on his heels. She tugged on his pants to get his attention and whispered to him.

"I don't like Mark Daddy. I don't want him to take me to school."

Paul sighed softly. "I don't like the thought of him taking you to school either sweetheart but if that's what Mommy has agreed then you'd better do it."

Ellie scowled and stomped her feet. "It's not fair."

"What's not fair?" asked Stephanie as she walked through to the kitchen just in time to overhear her comment.

"I don't want to go to school with Mark, Mommy. I want you to take me. You always take me."

"But sweetie, Mark offered to take you at the same time he takes Jamie. It was really nice of him. Plus it helps me out especially with Daddy being away."

Ellie said nothing and stood looking at the floor.

"Ellie, why don't you go and play, honey. Mommy needs to talk to Daddy."

"But can't I stay in here and draw?"

"No. I need to talk to Daddy about grown-up stuff so I want you to go to your room. It won't be for long."

Ellie looked at Paul who nodded his head. He watched her run off before turning to look at Stephanie. He could tell by her face she was obviously pissed off at him about something. It didn't take a genius to work out what that something was.

"I can't believe how rude you were today. What the hell is up with you?"

Paul sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I just don't like the guy, okay."

Stephanie looked at him and shook her head. "Why? You don't even know him."

"And I don't want to. The guy is an ass!"

She snorted in disbelief. "That's really mature of you Paul! It's nice to know you've got a valid reason there."

Paul scowled at her and shook his head angrily as his fingers raked in frustration through his long blonde strands. "You want a reason? Okay. I'll give you a damn reason. The guy makes my skin crawl and you know what else? I didn't like the way he was looking at you. Hell, he was practically sitting on top of you when I came downstairs with Ellie. He couldn't get any closer to you if he tried. I don't like him at all and I don't trust him."

"You're being ridiculous Paul. The guy was just being friendly. Grow up and stop acting like some stupid jealous teenager."

"Jealous? You think I'm jealous of that jerk?"

"Well if you're not, you're certainly acting that way."

Paul scowled in annoyance and Stephanie sighed, hating that she was fighting with her husband especially when he would be leaving in a matter of hours. Then she would be counting the hours until he was back home again, missing him and wanting him back in her arms. Suddenly she regretted her accusation and she crossed the short distance between them, placing her hands on his chest as her big blue eyes looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, baby. I don't want to fight but don't you see? You've got nothing to worry about. Regardless of how any guy may or may not feel about me, I'm in love with you Paul. No other man could hold a candle to you. Not in my eyes and how could they?"

As the gentle heat of her touch worked its way through him, Paul's lips tugged into a smile as he pulled Stephanie to him and kissed the top of her head. He felt her snuggle into his chest as his chin rested on her soft brown strands.

"I'm not asking you to like our neighbour Paul but will you just give him a chance? For me? It's just so lonely for me when you're gone and it might be nice to have an old friend around. Someone I can actually have an adult conversation with."

Paul sighed as he released her and stood back. He was tempted to suggest that if Stephanie was so desperate for conversation, she could call him or even her mom. But as he saw the pleading look in her ocean blue pools as she stared up at him, he reluctantly nodded his head. God knows he could never refuse her anything. He never had and he never could.

As Stephanie wrapped her arms around him and hugged him to her once more, Paul closed his eyes and held her tightly. As his big hand rubbed her back tenderly, he knew he still hated the idea of that jerk hanging around his wife but he had had only agreed for Stephanie's sake plus he didn't want to spend the last few hours he had at home arguing about that creep. But one thing was for sure, he'd be keeping an eye on Mark and making sure he had no obvious intentions towards his wife. Sure, he trusted Stephanie completely but he would never ever be able to trust him. After all, he was a guy himself. He knew how guys worked and it was obvious to him Mark was attracted to Stephanie. He could see it a mile off and as far as he was concerned, that made Mark a threat to him and Paul took that kind of threat seriously. He took it very seriously indeed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Hey Game!"

Paul glanced up from his unzipped holdall and smiled at Shane as he entered the brightly lit dressing room. His face was animated with his excitement as he approached him.

"Man, that was awesome! Did you hear the crowd reaction when you whacked Angle with that chair? Your match at the PPV is going to be off the charts!

Paul chuckled at his reaction as he threw down a pair of faded denims to the bench. Shane was always so enthusiastic about every single match particularly at pay-per-views. He was like a little kid at times but then again, so was he. They were like two peas in a pod when it came to their passion for the business.

"I'm looking forward Sunday and to kicking Angle's ass especially as it's in New Hampshire." he grinned back.

"I assume your Mom and Dad are going to be there?"

Paul nodded his head as he lightly scratched at his beard. "Yeah. They're really looking forward to seeing the kids too. It's been a month or so since they last saw them."

Shane snorted with amusement. "Then just wait until they see Jake! I'm sure he's doubled in size since then."

Paul nodded and laughed as he took off his elbow pads and threw them on top of his bag. "You might be right about that one."

He smiled as he sat down on the bench and stretched his long legs out in front of him. They were starting to feel a little heavy now the adrenaline of the match was starting to wear off.

"So, how's Marissa doing? Steph said she's not been feeling so great."

Shane sighed as he took the space next to him. His hand raked through his short dark strands. "No. She's been really sick the past few mornings. Then again, she was like that with Declan. But thankfully Mom has been helping out by looking after Declan for a few hours and giving Rissa a break. She just feels so tired all the time, you know and it's not easy when I'm on the road."

Paul nodded his head able to sympathise. Stephanie had been exactly the same way when she had been expecting both Jake and Ellie. "Well, hopefully she'll feel better soon. How far along is she now?"

"About ten weeks."

He smiled but that smile quickly turned into a snort as he absently played back their conversation. "You do realise that Steph and Marissa would have a field day if they could hear us talking right now." he said to Shane.

Shane grinned back at his brother-in-law. "Especially Steph. Speaking of which, how is my little sister? I haven't spoken to her for a few days."

"She's good but Jake's got her completely run off her feet. He's been crawling everywhere and climbing up on things. Yesterday he even managed to ram a piece of toast inside the dvd recorder."

"She'll be looking forward to having you back home tomorrow then."

"I'm going home tonight actually." Paul explained as he lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "My appearance for tomorrow morning has been cancelled so I decided to make the most of it and fly home early."

Shane slapped him on the back as he stood up. "Then I'd better let you get showered and changed. You don't want to miss your flight."

Paul nodded and smiled. "Thanks man. I'll catch you later."

As Shane's footsteps disappeared out into the corridor, he let out a sigh and realised how much he was looking forward to getting home. He was beginning to really hate being away so much from his family and starting to feel like he was missing out on everything. Over the past few weeks, he had missed Jake eventually starting to crawl and Ellie's first tooth coming out. He had been really disappointed when Stephanie had told him the news over the phone. He had wanted to be there experiencing it all with her. They were moments with his kids that he just wouldn't get back but instead of sharing in them, he had been stuck in some hotel room hundreds of miles from home. And he loved his job, he really did but all the travelling was really starting to get him down. He just wanted to spend a little more time at home. Maybe he would discuss it with Stephanie and see if there was a way he could cut back his schedule. He didn't want to be a part-time husband and father for very much longer. His family was the main priority in his life now.

With his mind pretty much made up to talk to Stephanie, Paul got up from the bench and raking his fingers through his partially dry strands, he began to get ready for his flight. In a matter of hours he was standing outside his house and sliding his key into the lock, he clicked the side door into place as he walked silently into the house. The whole place was in darkness apart from the streetlights which shone through the large paned downstairs windows. Paul threw down his bag on the sofa as he passed by and made his way directly up the stairs.

His first stop was the nursery and he smiled gently as he pushed open the door. Jake's nightlight was on bathing the room in a soft glow and he could see his small perfect feet sticking out the top which meant his head was in there somewhere underneath the covers. Paul chuckled softly as he lifted back the padded blanket and saw his son lying diagonally across his cot. It didn't matter which way Jake fell asleep. During the course of the night, he always found a way to end up in the opposite direction.

Paul carefully lifted him up breathing in his familiar baby smell before placing his head back on the pillow tucking the covers around his small, warm body. Jake had stirred slightly letting out a small whimper at the moment but his eyes remained shut and his breathing was steady. Paul picked up his favourite teddy bear and lay it down beside him. He leant over the cot's wooden railing to kiss his forehead. His son looked so peaceful lying there but Paul knew it would be a different story come morning. He whispered good night before leaving his room and crossing the hallway to Ellie.

As he entered his daughter's room, he smiled as the soft moonlight flooded over her bed. Her blonde curls were spread across her pillow and her arm wrapped firmly around her favourite Tinkerbell doll. At least she had managed to stay in the same position unlike Jake. He fondly smoothed back her hair and kissed her forehead before adjusting the blankets so they covered her fully. He watched her for a second before whispering good night and walking out and closing her door over.

Paul smiled to himself, his heart happy and full that his children were safe as he walked along the hallway. He knew he was probably biased but he was proud to say that he definitely had the most beautiful family in the world. And as he walked into the airy bedroom, his heart swelled as he saw the woman he held responsible for making it that way. The white light of the full moon shone into the room and illuminated her face as she slept. He swore she looked like an angel and he felt his chest tighten before he started to undress.

Paul tried his best not to disturb her as he crawled into bed beside her. However, he felt Stephanie start to stir as he slid his arms around her gentle heat and pulled her body into him.

"Paul?" she asked her voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah. Go back to sleep." he hushed as he brushed his lips over her temple.

"What are you doing home?" Stephanie murmured as she snuggled into his chest.

"They cancelled tomorrow so I flew home early."

She smiled at him as she felt Paul pull her even closer. "Well I'm so glad you're back."

"Me too. I really missed you guys this time."

Stephanie lifted her head and a tender smile adorned her lips as she brought her arm out from the covers and brought it to his face as she stroked his cheek with her hand. "We missed you too."

Her fingers threaded through his hair as she brought her husband's mouth to meet hers. Stephanie moaned softly as his warm lips caressed hers and he began to kiss her deeply and slowly. As the familiar rush of longing rushed through her body, she knew she had meant it when she had told him she missed him. She had – and badly. And it wasn't just the physical side. Paul dedicated all his time to his family when he was home so when he was away, everyone really noticed his absence, even Jake. The house felt so much colder and emptier without him and no doubt the kids would be ecstatic when they woke up and realised their daddy was home a day earlier than expected.

But suddenly their children were the furthest thing from Stephanie's mind as Paul shifted her onto her back and began to undo her pyjama top, his lips caressing the exposed skin that each open button revealed. She shivered under his touch as her back arched to meet his mouth. God, this was one of the things she missed most of all. Being so close to her husband and feeling his touch. Not a moment went by when she didn't want him or need him in some way.

She trembled in anticipation as Paul quickly disposed of her pyjama bottoms. His skin felt like fire as he moved back up her body. And when their eyes met in the shadows of the room, she felt the desire in his stare and she lifted her head, kissing him passionately. The need to have him as close as possible was overwhelming her and she couldn't wait a second longer. Stephanie spread her legs wider, raising her hips as Paul hovered above her and she let out a hiss of pleasure as he slid inside. She closed her eyes and she whispered his name as she let her body succumb to him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

They were outside taking a stroll when it happened. Stephanie had just reached up to kiss Paul after he'd spun her some line about being the most beautiful woman on the planet. He'd then flashed her that sexy smile. The smile that made her stomach pool with desire and right there and then she'd silently promised to show him how much she wanted him once they were back in the privacy of their home. But in the meantime she'd settle for a kiss and a silent prayer that the kids would fall asleep early tonight. With any luck the fresh air would knock them out. She had plans for her husband, plans that involved just him and her, all alone and naked.

Paul's lips gently caressed hers. That's when Stephanie became aware of the sound of a car screeching to a halt. Immediately thinking of her own children, she quickly broke their embrace and her startled blue eyes looked around her. Jake was in his stroller safe and she felt a huge wave of relief when she spotted Ellie's familiar head of curls at the bottom of the driveway just ahead. However that relief was short lived as her head turned towards the direction of the stalled vehicle. Stephanie gasped lifting her hand to her mouth, her stomach churning nauseously as she saw the little person lying in the road.

"Oh my God Paul! The car hit Jamie."

Mark's daughter lay unmoving on the tarmac. As Stephanie rushed over to check on her, Ellie ran towards her father crying. Her small features were completely distressed as she witnessed what was happening in front of her.

"Daddy, there's blood. Is Jamie going to die?"

Paul knelt down by the side of the stroller and hugged a sobbing Ellie to his chest with one arm while his big hand reached for his son's and he gripped it protectively. "Shhhh sweetie. No-one's going to die. It's going to be alright."

Her gut wrenching sobs broke his heart. As he tried his best to comfort his daughter, Paul glanced over and saw Mark run across his front lawn. He swore he saw his face crumple when he finally realised what had happened. He let out a guttural scream and rushed over with Chloe, his baby daughter, in his arms.

"Jamie! My baby!" he cried.

Paul closed his eyes unable to watch his pain and gripped hold of Ellie that little bit tighter. Like him, Mark was a father. The roles could easily have been reversed and that could have been Ellie lying there right now instead of Jamie. The mere thought sent a cold chill down his spine. He buried his face into Ellie's hair and squeezed his son's fingers affectionately.

"She just came out of nowhere. I couldn't stop."

Paul looked up to see the driver standing beside him, his face pale and his body shaking in total shock. He recognised the guy. He lived a mile or so down the village.

"I've called them though, the paramedics I mean. They're on their way now."

Paul nodded unsure what to say. God knows how the guy had to be feeling right now. Just then he felt Ellie pull away. She wiped at the tears that had fallen down her face.

"Jamie didn't mean it Daddy. She didn't mean to hit the car. She just forgot to look where she was going."

Paul smiled reassuringly and brushed the hair back from her face. "I know sweetie. It was an accident."

He looked towards the car and saw Stephanie consoling Mark. He seemed to be hysterical as he hovered over his daughter trying to wake her up. His painful cries echoed in the silent road as the low sun shone down on them eerily. Each one of them ripped at Paul's heart as he could only imagine what the guy was going through. Hearing her sniff, he looked back at Ellie. That was when he saw the horror on her face and decided she shouldn't be here witnessing any of this. Jake neither for that matter. They were both still so young and so innocent.

Paul got to his feet and glanced over at the driver. As he lifted Jake from his stroller, the man managed to offer him a shaky smile in spite of his distress.

"Could you look after my daughter for just a second?" he asked him. "I need to go and talk to my wife and I don't want her over there."

The driver nodded and crouched down beside Ellie.

Paul carried Jake as he walked towards Stephanie deliberately avoiding looking in the direction of the little girl. His wife saw him and stood up to go to him, letting go of Mark.

"How is she?" he asked her as she approached him.

Stephanie slowly shook her head as the tears shone in her big blue eyes. "She's unconscious and there's a lot of blood. It doesn't look good, Paul."

Paul let out a sigh as he reached across, wiping a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "Listen, I don't think the kids should be here. I'm going to take them home and I'll take Chloe with me if you think it would help."

"I'm sure Mark would appreciate it." Stephanie sniffed. "But you won't mind if I stay with him, do you? I don't want to leave him right now. At least not until the paramedics get here."

"Of course you don't. Anyway he's going to need someone to help him get through this."

Stephanie smiled and nodded hugging her husband before walking across and talking to Mark. Paul saw him look over and nod at him appreciatively. Paul gave him a small smile and took the pram from Stephanie as she wheeled it over. Paul called out to Ellie and mouthed his thanks to the driver.

"We're going to go home Ellie. Say goodbye to Mommy."

Ellie ran over to Stephanie who crouched down to hug her. Paul saw how tightly Stephanie held onto her and knew she was as every bit as grateful as he was that it wasn't Ellie lying in the middle of the tarmac.

"Is Jamie going to be alright, Mommy?"

"I don't know sweetie but the doctors will take real good care of her, I promise."

Just then they heard sound of sirens approaching as the ambulance appeared round the corner. Stephanie stood up and kissed Jake before hugging Paul. He kissed the top of her head.

"You take care of yourself and call me later, okay?"

She nodded and lifted her hand in a wave to her family as she walked back across to Mark. Paul quickly turned the pram around not wanting to see any more and Ellie walked beside him.

"Are we going to the hospital, daddy?"

Paul adjusted Jake who had fallen asleep in his arms. ""No honey. We're going to go home and help Mark by looking after Chloe, okay?"

Ellie nodded and gave him a small smile. As they continued to walk home, Paul tried hard not to feel guilty at how relieved he was that it wasn't his daughter that was lying on that road. The simple thought of it gave him chills and he couldn't even begin to fathom the pain Mark was going through right now. God forbid he'd ever have to find out. Instead he would count his blessings that his baby girl was safe and pray that despite the odds, Jamie would be too.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Stephanie felt so relieved to finally be home. She closed the door behind her after checking in on Jake and Chloe, both of whom were fast asleep in the nursery. As she walked into Ellie's room to look in on her, she smiled as she saw that her husband was lying fast asleep beside her. Paul's arm was wrapped around her small body while Ellie's fingers were tangled up in his hair. Stephanie sighed as she sat down on the bed and smoothed back her daughter's hair watching them sleep. God knows tonight could have ended up so differently had it been her little girl who had ran out in front of that car. And it had happened so quickly too. According to Mark one minute Jamie had been running around in the garden playing. The next she was lying face down on the road where the driver had appeared from around the corner. Not that it had been his fault. According to him and another neighbour, the little girl had shot out from nowhere in front of the car. All it had taken was one split second. One split second where an innocent life had been taken. The thing that spooked her even more was that life could have so easily been her daughter's.

Stephanie felt an icy chill down her spine as she tried her hardest not to dwell on that thought. It had been painful enough watching someone else deal with losing their child. Mark was understandably a wreck and Stephanie had been reluctant to leave him tonight but he had insisted and had assured her he was going to try and get some rest. Stephanie had come home with the intention of trying to do the same. Tonight had been tough to deal with and she felt both emotionally and physically drained.

Sighing softly, she kissed Ellie's cheek tenderly relishing the feel of her warm soft skin before walking round to Paul and untangling their daughter's fingers from his hair. She felt guilty about wanting to waken him but she needed him so much. She didn't want to be alone right now and the only place she wanted to be was in her husband's arms. Stephanie began to shake him gently and whispered in his ear. "Paul? Baby, wake up."

After a few more hard shakes, she heard him groan as he rolled over onto his back. She shook him once again and watched his eyelids flutter before they finally opened.

"Steph?" he said acknowledging her, his voice thick with sleep. He licked his lips to wet them as he blinked heavily. "Hey. Is everything okay?"

She nodded her head and smiled gently as her hand reached out to him. "I just need you to come to bed."

Paul smiled back as his big hand rubbed at his left eye. He slowly manoeuvred his body getting up from the bed and taking great care not to disturb Ellie. He fixed the covers around her small body before kissing her cheek softly and following Stephanie to the bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he walked across to his wife who was standing at the end of the bed. Her big eyes were heavy and bloodshot and she looked absolutely exhausted. Paul instinctively wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly dropping a kiss on the top of her head. He had been so worried about Stephanie and he wasn't surprised when he felt her body start to shake with her sobs. He gripped her that little bit tighter as he let her cry. God knows what she'd had to deal with tonight and knowing his wife, she'd have tried her best to stay strong for Mark's sake. She wouldn't let her own emotions intrude on his grief. Paul rubbed her back soothingly until eventually some moments passed and he felt her sobs subside. He kissed her hair once more and felt her sigh softly into him.

"God, it was horrible Paul."

As she turned her face up towards him, his thumb reached up to wipe at her wet cheek.

"When they told Mark about Jamie, he just broke down and I couldn't do anything to help him. All I could do was tell him I was so sorry and hold him while he cried." Stephanie's voice waivered and she pressed her lips together, taking a second to gather her composure as Paul's big hand rubbed her back soothingly. "God, all I could think about while I was in that hospital was Jamie lying on that road and how grateful I was that it wasn't Ellie." she told him. "That it wasn't our baby girl that had been taken from us. Then of course I'd feel guilty for even thinking that way what with everything that Mark was going through…."

As a solitary tear trickled down her cheek, Paul's fingers ran through Stephanie's hair before he pulled her head gently towards his chest once more.

"Hey, you can't blame yourself for thinking that way." he told her softly. "And the exact same thoughts have been going through my head too. It's only natural to feel that way, Steph and you shouldn't feel guilty about it. Plus I'm sure Mark would understand." He pressed his lips gently to her forehead and rubbed her left arm affectionately. "Come on, let's get you to bed. You need to try and get some sleep. You look done in."

Stephanie didn't protest as Paul slid out from their embrace causing her to shiver slightly despite the heat in the room. She quickly got undressed leaving her clothes on the floor at the side of the bed. As she got under the covers, the room went dark. Paul had switched out the light and she could feel his warm breath on her face as he lay next to her. She reached out for him, her hand pulling him closer as her mouth searched for his. Her fingers tangled in his soft blonde strands as she kissed him, her tongue searching for his and sliding over it gently. Everything just slipped away as she lost herself in their embrace. Paul's mouth moved over hers hungrily tasting her and tempting her. He felt so good and this was exactly what she needed right now. Paul always made things feel better. His low growl echoed in the silent room as her nails scraped over his shoulder blade. Stephanie suddenly felt an urgent need to be as close to her husband as humanly possible and she wrapped her leg around him, pulling their bodies closer together in the centre of the bed. She let out a moan as Paul dropped his head to her neck and her swollen lips prickled with the loss of his kiss. His mouth tasted her skin as the wet trail of his tongue made her skin tingle. She could feel her desire for him pool in her stomach as his hardness pressed against the top of her thigh, teasing her. God, she wanted him so much. She needed him. Stephanie's hands roamed across his soft firm skin and her body tingled with anticipation as he turned his attention to her breasts. She began to grind her body against him as his teeth gently pinched at her nipple. She could feel her desire for him build as his lips caressed her flesh. Unable to wait any longer, she rolled him onto his back and her eyes flashed black with her need for him as Paul helped guide her hips and entered her. Stephanie let out a satisfied moan and threw her head back as she felt herself get lost in Paul forgetting everything else and just concentrating on that moment. Everything else faded away. It was just her and Paul. It was everything she needed.

* * *

Stephanie jumped up startled from sleep when she heard the scream. She immediately threw back the covers and grabbed her robe. While she slid her arms through the sleeves, she noticed Paul sitting up in bed, his confused face visible in the moonlight.

"Steph, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I heard Ellie scream. I need to go and check on her."

Stephanie's face was crumpled with concern as she marched along the hallway to her daughter's bedroom. Her concern was only intensified when she heard Jake start to cry too and glancing between the two doors, she felt relieved when she heard Paul's voice behind her.

"You go check on Ellie. I'll get Jake."

Stephanie turned to him smiling gratefully before scurrying along the hallway to her daughter's room. As she opened the door, she immediately heard Ellie's sobs from underneath the covers. She pulled them back and scooped her daughter up in her arms rocking her as she held her.

"Ellie sweetheart, what's wrong?"

She heard Ellie sniff loudly as she tried to calm herself down. Her shaky breaths filled the room. When she looked up, Stephanie felt her heart break as she saw her red puffy eyes. She wiped the tears from her daughter's cheeks.

"Tell me what's wrong, sweetie. Was it a bad dream?"

Ellie nodded and her voice was frightened as she finally managed to speak. "I saw Jamie Mommy. She was bleeding."

As a tear rolled down her cheek, Stephanie pulled Ellie closely to her and kissed the top of her head, hushing her and trying her best to calm her down. "It's okay baby. Mommy's here. It's okay."

"But is Jamie alright Mommy? Did the doctors make her better?"

Stephanie found she didn't know how to answer that question. The words stuck in the back of her throat as she stood there silently hugging her daughter stalling over whether or not to tell her the truth. This would be the first time that Ellie would have to deal with death and she wasn't entirely sure how to play it. Deep down, she knew she should be honest with her daughter. Ellie was a smart kid but it was hard especially when all her motherly instincts were desperate to protect her. She sighed heavily and felt her curly head lift from her shoulder. As she looked at her daughter, she saw Ellie's hazel eyes watching her intently, patiently waiting for her answer. She knew she couldn't put it off any longer. She had to find a way to break it to her gently but unfortunately break her heart in the process. She sat down on the bed holding her daughter to her as she cradled her in her arms. "I'm sorry sweetheart. Jamie was so sick the doctors couldn't help her."

Ellie's bottom lip quivered as her eyes filled with tears. "Won't I get to see Jamie again, Mommy?"

Stephanie shook her head, her own tears springing to her eyes hating seeing her daughter in such pain and hating the fact that an innocent child had died tonight. "I'm afraid not sweetie. See Jamie's in heaven with the angels now."

"But I don't want Jamie to be with the angels. I want her to be here so she can play with me. I like playing with Jamie."

Ellie let out a choked sob and Stephanie held her tightly, her own tears spilling down her cheeks. It was killing her to see her daughter hurting so much. She rocked Ellie back and forward as she continued to sob and failed to notice Paul until he was standing in front of them. She saw the emotion in his expressive brown eyes as he focused on Ellie. It would be tearing him up inside seeing her like this. He hated seeing any member of his family upset especially his children. Paul was always so protective both as a husband and a father. He knelt down at the side of the bed and placed one hand on Stephanie's leg, the other rubbing Ellie's back soothingly.

"Is she upset about Jamie?" he asked his wife.

Stephanie nodded and sniffed. "She had a bad dream and asked me about her. I had to tell her the truth Paul."

Paul heard the anguish in her voice and reached up to wipe the tears from her face. He knew how hard it would have been for Stephanie to have told her daughter about Jamie and if anything, he loved her even more for doing it.

"I know you did and you did the right thing. She needed to know Steph."

Ellie lifted her head at the sound of her father's voice and turned round to face him. Paul's heart shattered inside as she sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Jamie's in heaven, Daddy."

Paul nodded his head solemnly as his big hand raked through her curls tenderly. "I know she is sweetie and I know it's very sad. But the way I see it, at least if Jamie's in heaven, she's not hurting any more."

Ellie sniffed again as she looked at her father pondering over what he had just told her. "So did the angels make her better?"

Paul nodded his head. "Yes they did and they'll help God look after her. Jamie was a special little girl and they'll take real good care of her. I promise you."

Ellie chewed on her lip for a second as she thought about that. She let out a sigh when she eventually looked back up at him. "I wish she was still here though. I liked playing with her."

Paul smiled as he touched her cheek and rubbed her soft skin. "I know you did and she liked playing with you too. You guys had lots of fun together."

"Jamie made me laugh Daddy."

"Well that's a good way to remember her. Maybe when you think about her you can smile or even laugh. It's okay to do that, you know."

Ellie looked anxiously between her parents. "It is?"

Stephanie nodded and smiled. "Jamie wouldn't want you to be sad all the time."

"Mommy's right, Ellie. It's okay to be sad or happy when you think of her."

Ellie's lips curled into a small smile. "I feel better now Daddy."

"I'm so glad sweetheart." he told her as he kissed her forehead, his heart feeling a little less broken now her tears had stopped. Just then Ellie gave a loud yawn.

"I'm feel sleepy again Mommy."

"Then why don't you try to go back to sleep again?"

Paul stood up as Stephanie laid Ellie down on the bed. She pulled the covers over her and kissed her.

"You just call me if you need me, okay?"

Ellie nodded her head as she snuggled into her pillow. Paul smiled as he tucked her teddy bear in beside her and kissed her cheek.

"Mr Bear will look after you now."

The little girl smiled and closed her eyes. Paul wrapped his arm around Stephanie as they stood for a minute, watching over her until she fell asleep. Before long, her breathing had evened out and they knew she had fallen back over. They quietly left the room leaving the door slightly ajar so they could hear her if she called them.

"Was Jake okay?"

Paul nodded. "Yeah. I just rubbed his back and within seconds, he was out like a light again. Fortunately, he didn't waken Chloe."

Stephanie offered him a small smile as they walked into the bedroom. She let out soft sigh as she crawled back into bed. Paul lay down next to her and turning to her, he began stroking her weary face with his hand. "God Paul, it was horrible seeing Ellie so upset. I hated having to tell her about Jamie."

"I know and I know it was hard for you but you did the right thing. We can't protect them forever, Steph. I really wish we could but we can't."

"I know but it doesn't make it any easier." she sighed.

Paul kissed her forehead as he pulled her into his arms. "I'm kind of glad we're going to see Mom and Dad this weekend. It will maybe help Ellie take her mind off what's happened for a couple of days."

Stephanie nodded her head as she nestled against her husband's chest. She could make out the faint trace of his heartbeat and it soothed her a little. Snuggling into him that little bit closer, Stephanie knew Paul was probably right. It would no doubt do them all the world of good to get away for a little bit. Ellie loved her grandparents and would be thrilled to see them. Even now she could picture the happy grin on her face she would have when she saw them and that grin was all she wanted to see. Anything to take away the pain she saw tonight. Stephanie would do whatever it took to stop her daughter from hurting so much. Her family was all that mattered to her. They were everything.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Stephanie tried her best to soothe Mark as he sobbed heavily in her arms. It had been two days since Jamie had died and he really wasn't coping at all. The house was in disarray with dishes and clothes all over the place. Chloe had been at home with him since yesterday but Stephanie wasn't sure that was a good idea. Mark seemed incapable of looking after himself, never mind a baby. So she had offered to take Chloe but he had refused. He wanted his remaining daughter with him and she really couldn't blame him. If she was in Mark's shoes, she would be the same and would be reluctant to let Chloe out of her sight. She absently patted his back as she waited for him to calm down.

Stephanie sighed softly as she looked up at the clock above the fireplace. They were supposed to be leaving for Nashua in a couple of hours but she was seriously having doubts about leaving Mark. He was a mess and she was worried about him. God knows what would happen if he was left alone between now and Tuesday and who knew if he had even made any arrangements for the funeral. He refused to talk about it whenever she had tried to bring the subject up. Stephanie knew it wasn't her responsibility but she felt she had to do something. His mother was the only family member and she was too frail to help. No-one knew where Jamie's mother was and her parents hadn't heard from her. They were currently on vacation and couldn't get a flight back until Monday leaving Mark completely alone. He had to rely on someone and that someone looked like being her. God, she dreaded telling Paul. He would be pissed and she couldn't blame him. He had been so patient and understanding over the last couple of days not questioning her once about the amount of time she was spending with Mark. But that patience was starting to wear thin especially when Mark had called her half an hour ago. She had spent the better part of the morning with him already but as he had cried down the phone, she knew she had no choice. She had to be there for him. She had promised him she would be and she couldn't go back on that promise now. Not when he needed her.

Just then Stephanie felt Mark pull away and she gave him a small smile as he looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Mark nodded his head. "I'm sorry Steph. I just keep picturing her lying there all alone."

"I know but she wasn't alone Mark." she told him as her hand rubbed his back soothingly. "We were there with her and you need to take some comfort from that."

"Maybe." Mark sniffed as he wiped at his eyes and let out a shaky sigh. "Thank you Steph. God knows how I'd cope without you right now. It takes all I have to get out of bed in the morning."

Stephanie smiled and patted his hand reassuringly. "I just don't want you handling this on your own. It's not right."

"But I have to though, don't I?"

"No you don't." she replied adamantly, shaking her head. "You have me. I want to help you Mark. I want to be there for you."

Mark smiled gratefully and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you. You don't know what that means to me."

"I'm just glad I can help." Stephanie smiled and as he released her, she glanced over at the clock. "Sorry Mark but I need to go home. Will you be alright for a while?"

He nodded and smiled. Stephanie stood up and made her way to the door. She hadn't been able to bring herself to tell Mark she was going away for a few days and now it was pointless as she wasn't going anyway. Her mind was made up. She opened the door.

"I'll be over to check on you later." she told him.

Mark smiled and she raised her hand in a wave as she left the house to go home.

"Daddy, can I take my new dress to show Grandma?"

Paul nodded his head as he packed Ellie's jeans in her bag. "Sure but you'll need to leave Tinkerbell if you do. There's going to be no room left in your bag." He smiled as he pulled out an Undertaker t-shirt and held it up in front of him. "Hey Ellie, what's up with this? I thought I was your favourite wrestler!"

Ellie grinned as she saw her father pretend to pout. "Of course you are Daddy but I like Taker too. It's pretty cool when he throws people all over the place. Does it hurt when he does that Daddy?"

Paul chuckled as he placed the t-shirt back in her bag. "You can bet your ass it does."

His daughter gasped as she frowned at her father. "Mommy told you not to say that word."

He stuck out his tongue and then grabbed her. She squealed as he threw her down on the bed and those squeals were replaced with giggles as he started to tickle her sides. "You're not going to tell Mommy though, are you Miss Ellie?"

Ellie shook her head as she squirmed around on the bed. "I promise Daddy. Stop now. Please!"

As Paul let her go, he heard Jake start to cry. He held her down as he pretended to look at her sternly. "Uh-oh!! You're in trouble now. You've woken up Jake."

"But it wasn't my fault. You made me laugh Daddy."

Paul scooped her up and placed her back on the floor. "Race you to the nursery. Last one there gets to change Jake's diaper."

Ellie squealed as he ran out the door. "It's not fair. Your legs are longer."

Paul laughed as he walked into the nursery and saw Jake standing holding the bars of his cot as he cried. However, the crying stopped as soon as he was lifted up. He shook his head and smiled as he held Jake up in front of him. "Playing me for a soft touch, huh? You're just like the women in this house!"

"I heard that Levesque!"

Paul turned round to see Stephanie standing in the doorway holding Ellie's hand. He grinned at her. "I'm only telling my son the truth. He needs to know what he's up against when he gets older."

Stephanie smiled and shook her head. She looked down as she felt a tug on her hand.

"Mommy, Daddy said I can take my new dress to wear to show Grandma."

"That's great, sweetie. Grandma and Grandpa will think you're beautiful."

"Of course they will. They know she gets her looks from her mother. She's pretty beautiful herself."

Stephanie couldn't help but smile as she turned towards Paul. He was in such a good mood. It was a shame she was about to ruin it. "You're such a big suck-up. Listen, can we talk? I need to discuss something with you."

Paul nodded, shifting Jake in his arms. "Shoot."

She took a deep breath trying to prepare herself for the conversation she was about to have. She just hoped she was doing the right thing but it was too late to start doubting herself now. "I think I should stay here while you go to Nashua." she began.

Her husband stood there silently while Ellie pouted at her mother.

"Why aren't you coming Mommy? I want you to come with us!"

Stephanie crouched down and smiled gently at her daughter. "And I want to come too Ellie, I do but Mark is still upset about Jamie and I don't think he can look after Chloe on his own right now."

However, her attention was quickly diverted from her daughter as she saw Paul walk out of the room. She called out after him.

"Paul, where are you going? I thought we were discussing this!"

He whipped round, the anger evident in his deep brown eyes. "What's there to discuss Steph? You've quite clearly made up your mind without me. Obviously what I want or think doesn't count."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Stephanie ran after him and grabbed his arm to pull him round to face her. "Of course it counts. Paul, please. Don't be like this."

He shrugged her hand away. "What do you expect, huh? I'm pissed, Steph. I'm, pissed that my wife will be spending even more time away from our family. Christ, we've hardly seen you the past couple of days. If you're not over at Mark's house, you're on the phone to him. You're with him constantly. I mean, does the guy not realise what leaning on you so much is doing to you? Just look at you. You're exhausted. You don't sleep. You hardly eat. How much more of this can you take? I'm worried about you, Steph."

"I know you are baby and I know you want to look after me." she told him as her hand rested on his thick forearm. "But try and see it from Mark's point of view. His daughter has just died and he's all alone. He can't cope with Chloe. He needs someone there and I'm all he's got right now."

"Yeah? Well what about your family, Steph? What about Ellie? Your daughter needs you too or have you forgotten that?"

Stephanie glanced away as she let out a guilty sigh. She knew Paul was right. She hadn't forgotten Ellie's nightmare from a couple of nights ago but it had been a one off and she seemed fine now. Besides, she had made a promise to Mark. He was depending on her and she just couldn't let him down. And Paul would be there for Ellie if she needed him. Her family would survive a couple of days without her but she wasn't so sure that Mark and Chloe would. As she looked up, she tried to ignore the hurt and angry expression on Paul's face yet she could still feel her heart weigh heavily knowing she was disappointing him. "I have to do this Paul. Please try to understand. For me? Please." she pleaded.

Paul remained silent and still as he just watched her for a moment before turning away and walking down the stairs. Stephanie wrapped her arms around herself as she watched him leave. She knew Paul was furious with her decision and he had every right to be. She just had to hope that once he had calmed down, he would understand her decision to stay.

A few seconds later she felt a tug on her leg and Stephanie forced a smile as she saw Ellie looking up at her.

"Is Daddy mad?"

She sighed and nodded her head deciding to be honest with her daughter. "A little. He's just upset that I'm staying here instead of going with you guys."

Ellie sighed. "I wish you were coming Mommy. I'll miss you."

Stephanie tried to ignore the guilty pang in her chest as she smiled and scooped her little girl into her arms. "I'll miss you too sweetheart. So much. But you're going to have a wonderful time with Grandma and Grandaddy and I promise to call you every day."

Ellie nodded and kissed her cheek affectionately. "I love you Mommy."

"I love you too baby." she replied hugging her daughter. She was so grateful Ellie wasn't creating a fuss about it all. It definitely made her feel less guilty about staying and she could only hope Paul would be as understanding when it was time for them to leave. She couldn't handle him going knowing he was angry with her. They'd never let a sun set on an argument once in their relationship and she wasn't about to let it happen now.

A short while later Paul was throwing the bags in the trunk and once he was done, he slammed the trunk hard in frustration. He was trying so hard not to be angry with Stephanie but it was difficult for him for some reason. Deep down he knew he was probably being harsh. After all the guy had just lost his daughter and Stephanie had such a big heart she wanted to be there for him. But why did it have to be his wife that had to pick up the pieces? Especially when it meant their family suffered in the process, in particular Stephanie. That's why he had really been looking forward to this trip especially after the last couple of days. He could see the strain Stephanie was under as she tried to juggle her family and the responsibility she felt to Mark. The break would have done her the world of good but now God only knows the effect the next few days would have on her emotionally and the hard part was he wouldn't be here to comfort her. He hated the thought of her crying in bed alone. And besides all of that, he just wanted his wife with him. He hated being apart from her for any length of time especially when work took him away far too often as it was.

Paul avoided Stephanie's gaze as he walked back into the house. He picked up Jake who was sitting on the floor finding a cardboard box particularly fascinating. "You ready to go, buddy?"

Jake grinned as he waved his hands in the air and the box dropped to the polished wood.

"Say bye bye to Mommy."

The baby waved his hands as Stephanie took him in her arms. She kissed him and hugged him to her chest feeling her heart break at the thought of being apart from him. "Bye sweetheart. You remember and be a good boy for Daddy, okay?"

Her reply was a babble and Stephanie had tears in her eyes as she handed their son back over to Paul who still refused to look her in the eye. She felt sick inside at the thought of him leaving like this. She hated this tension between them. It was horrible and she hated every single second of it.

"Ellie, are you ready to go?"

She nodded at her father and ran over to give Stephanie a hug. "Bye Mommy."

"Bye sweetheart. Be a good girl, okay?"

"I will Mommy. Say hi to Chloe for me."

Stephanie nodded her head and watched as Ellie ran across to Paul. She followed them out the front door and she helped strap Ellie in her seat as Paul took care of Jake. She blew her daughter a kiss as she stepped back from the car.

"Be a good girl on the plane Ellie."

"I will Mommy." Ellie turned to look at Jake. "We're going on a plane Jakey. Are you excited?"

Stephanie smiled as she watched them interact and sighed sadly as she closed the door. She was really going to miss them the next few days. The house would feel so empty without them and Paul. Her blue eyes watched her husband tentatively as he approached the driver's door. Wrapping her arms around herself defensively, she swore she felt her heart get that bit heavier with every passing second. He stood awkwardly in front of her fidgeting with the car keys before briefly glancing at his watch.

"I guess we'd better get going if we want to make that flight." he eventually said.

Paul opened the car door and he was about to get inside when he realised he just couldn't do it. He couldn't leave things this way between them especially with that look on Stephanie's face; the look that simply broke his heart in two. Lifting his head, his brown eyes softened as they looked at her.

"Just take care of yourself, Steph. You can only do so much you know." he told her gently.

Stephanie nodded her head as the tears started to roll down her face. She didn't know why she was crying but she found she couldn't stop. God, she wanted nothing more than to give in and get in that car with her husband and her kids. But she couldn't. Not while she had the responsibility of looking after Mark. He was a wreck and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something happened to him or Chloe while she was away. That's why she had to stay here despite every part of her wanting to be somewhere else.

"You take care too." she choked as she wiped at her wet face and felt her hair blowing in the breeze. As a few silent tears slipped over her lashes once more, Stephanie was pleasantly surprised and relieved when Paul stepped in front of her and pulled her into his big arms. She felt her body sink into the comforting warmth of his chest as she held on to him tightly.

"Come on. Don't cry. It's okay. It's all going to be okay."

Stephanie sniffed and buried her head into the crook of his neck. "I'm so sorry Paul. I just have to stay."

"I know and I respect your decision. I do, even if I don't like it. Just promise me you'll look after yourself."

"I promise."

Paul released her and Stephanie shivered despite the warmth of the low winter sun. His lips brushed over hers softly before he got in the car and waving at her children, Stephanie watched them leave with her heart feeling a little less heavy. She was so glad she and Paul had spoken somewhat before he had left but she wasn't stupid enough to believe that things were alright between them. They weren't and it was all her fault. Her priorities were just in the wrong place. As she stood there in the driveway, Stephanie made a decision. Once the funeral was over, she was going to stop feeling responsible for Mark. She had her own life and she needed to put her family first. They were the most important thing in her world and she couldn't risk hurting or neglecting them any more. All she had to do was survive the next few days and then they could get back to the way things were before the accident. The sooner this whole nightmare was all over, the better.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Paul smiled at Jake as he placed the spoon in his mouth. "You like Grandma's soup, don't you buddy?"

The baby boy ate the soup hungrily before banging his plastic car repeatedly off the tray on his highchair and grinning at his father. Paul grinned back and tweaked his nose playfully before feeding him another spoonful. He looked up and smiled as he heard voices and saw his mother and Ellie walk into the kitchen. He shook his head as he saw the number of bags they were both carrying.

"No need to ask what took you guys so long."

"Daddy, you should see the new shoes Grandma bought me. They're so cool. Do you want to see them?"

Paul smiled and nodded his head. "Sure but do you want to say hello to your brother first before he tips over his chair?"

Ellie giggled as she watched Jake squeal and wave his hands up and down in the air sending the car he was holding tumbling onto the kitchen floor. Ellie picked the car up and ruffled Jake's hair. "Hiya Jakey. Do you want your car back?"

Jake grinned as he took the plastic toy and started to bang it off his tray again. Paul shook his head and grinned in his mother's direction.

"What the hell did you put in this soup? He's been hyper since I started feeding it to him."

Patricia laughed as she bent down, kissing Jake on the head. "Don't blame it on my soup. If you must know, you were exactly the same at mealtimes when you were little. You were full of mischief just like this little one." She smiled at Jake before sitting down on the chair beside Paul. She kicked off her shoes and sat back in the chair, audibly sighing in relief. "That feels so much better. My feet were killing me."

"No wonder. You've been gone all day."

"Well, it's not often I get to spend time with my granddaughter. I really enjoyed it. It's just a pity Stephanie wasn't here though. She would have loved the new shop they've opened up in the mall. It's got some beautiful stuff, the kind of stuff she would have loved."

Paul said nothing as he fed Jake another spoonful of soup. Patricia sighed softly as she watched her son carefully. He had said very little about Stephanie since he had arrived and seemed reluctant to talk about her. Ellie, on the other hand, had been more than willing to chatter as they had shopped this afternoon. She had happened to let it slip that her daddy didn't like their new neighbour Mark and had been angry at her mommy for staying at home in Greenwich. It had certainly fuelled her curiosity about Paul's sullenness and was just about to broach the subject with him when Ellie came bounding across to her father.

"What do you think Daddy? Do you like them?"

Paul smiled and whistled appreciatively at his daughter. "Wow. You're looking very beautiful indeed. How about a twirl to show off?"

Ellie giggled as she twirled around, showing off her new dress and shoes. "Can I go and show Grandpa?"

Patricia nodded. "Sure honey. He's in the living room probably having his nap before dinner. Why don't you go and wake him up for me?"

She smiled as she watched Ellie race towards the living room before turning her attention to Jake. "Don't worry sweetheart. Grandma's got a present for you too. You can try it on after you've finished your soup." She smiled as Jake took another spoonful from Paul. "Good boy."

"So, Ellie got a new dress as well as shoes, huh?"

She shrugged her shoulders casually. "Like I said, I don't often get the chance to go shopping and spoil them. It's no big deal."

"I know you don't. Thank you." He squeezed her hand affectionately and gave her a smile.

"You're welcome. I'm going to make myself some coffee. Do you want one?"

Paul nodded his head and continued to feed Jake while Patricia began to spoon coffee into the jug.

"So, did you call Stephanie while I was out?"

"No. I thought I'd wait until Ellie was back. She'll want to talk to her anyway."

Patricia sighed as she took out the cups. "You're not still angry with her for staying at home are you?"

She saw Paul freeze for a second before he stood up and brought the empty bowl over to the sink. He said nothing as he gazed absently out of the window. Patricia shook her head as he deliberately avoided eye contact. "Paul, I asked you a question."

"Yeah, well I don't feel like answering it."

"And you don't have to. The answer is written all across your face." She let out a heavy sigh as she touched his arm tentatively. It was so unusual for her son to be like this especially when it came to his wife. "Paul, you can't blame Stephanie for doing what she thinks is right. You know as well as I do that if something happened to that man and his daughter while you were away, she'd never be able to forgive herself."

Paul turned to her shaking his head in disbelief. "You've talked to her, haven't you?"

"No but Ellie talked about what had been happening. She said Mark wasn't well enough to look after Chloe and that Stephanie wanted to help him." She watched as Paul walked across to Jake and sat back down. She approached him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Surely you can't be mad at her about wanting to help a friend?"

"Of course not."

"Then what is it? Why are you being so unreasonable about this?"

"Unreasonable?!" exclaimed Paul whose brown eyes flashed at her angrily. "How am I being unreasonable? I mean is it so wrong to worry about my wife and what all of this is doing to her?"

"No of course it's not." Patricia reassured him gently as she sat down beside him. Her hand reached out to touch Jake's and she affectionately stroked his chubby fingers as she looked at her son. "And it's perfectly understandable that you'd be worried about Stephanie. But what I don't understand is why you seem to be so angry at her."

"I'm not angry." he shot back.

"No? Then why are you walking around with that face?"

"What face?"

"The same face that I've seen so many times and know all too well." Patricia replied nudging him playfully. "I'm your mother, Paul. You can't fool your mother."

"And don't I know it." Paul replied as his mouth lifted in a small smile.

"So why don't you tell me what's up."

His massive shoulders rose and fell with his heavy sigh. He retrieved the plastic car from the edge of tray and passed it back to his son as he began to explain.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just upset that Steph stayed home. The kids really miss her and Ellie needs her right now. She had another nightmare last night."

"I heard her." Patricia admitted as she sighed softly.

"And of course she was crying for Steph." said Paul as he ran his big hand through his hair. "But instead of being here consoling our daughter, she's back at home consoling someone else. And okay, I know the guy has lost his little girl and it's a horrible time for him. I get that. I do. But why does it have to be my wife he depends on all the time?" He paused, licking his lips and lightly shaking his head. "It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't at her constantly. Do you know that he calls at all hours of the day and night to talk to Steph? It doesn't matter if it's three in the morning. He'll still call her then Steph spends god knows how many hours over at his house sitting with him and looking after the baby. It's not right. Not when her own daughter is upset and scared and crying for her mommy."

"I know but at least Ellie has you to take care of her, Paul. She's got her daddy and so has Jake. It's that poor baby I feel sorry for. She needs someone right now, someone that can take care of her. God knows the poor mite can't take care of herself and by the sounds of things her father is no fit state to do it." Patricia paused as she cooed at her grandson affectionately before turning to her son. Her expression was firm yet tender. "If you ask me, Stephanie did the right thing by staying."

Paul sighed heavily and remained silent for a minute as he took Jake's hand in his. As his son garbled a few words, he smiled before turning to his mother and lightly frowning. "I guess I have been a little selfish wanting Steph here instead of at home. But I've just been worried about her, Ma. I thought she needed the break."

"I know." Patricia smiled patting his big hand as it rested on the table. "But Stephanie's a strong girl. She'll cope. She always does."

"She does, doesn't she?" Paul agreed and the corner of his mouth upturned into a small smile. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm your mother."

Paul rolled his eyes as she ruffled his hair before standing up and walking over to Jake's high chair. She unclipped him and lifted him out.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to take your son and try on the new outfit I bought for him. While we're gone you might want to finish making the coffee and maybe give Stephanie a call?"

He shook his head as a knowing grin slowly crept across his face. "You don't give up, do you?"

"No, I don't." said Patricia grinning and cooing at Jake. "Are you going to wave goodbye to Daddy?"

Paul waved his hand at his son who enthusiastically waved his right hand back as his grandmother carried him out through the door. As it clicked shut behind them, he let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead. His brown eyes fell on the telephone that hung on the wall above the counter. His mother was right. He really should give Stephanie a call. He felt terrible for being so angry with her for staying so much so he had deliberately avoided calling her yesterday and had let Ellie talk to her instead. That alone would let her would know something was up. In the nine years they had been together, they had never gone a day without talking to one another, sometimes calling up to four or five times in one day. Most times Paul just needed to her voice. Stephanie had admitted in the past that she felt the same way but obviously not the last couple of days. She hadn't called him either but he guessed he couldn't blame her for not wanting to talk to him. He had made it blatantly obvious before he left that he was angry at her and of course he'd been too damn stubborn to bend. She was probably too worried or too pissed off at him to call. If that was the case, he really couldn't blame her for that either.

Paul got up from his chair and switched on the percolator before picking up the phone. He found he was nervous as he dialled the number and absently chewed his fingernail as he waited for Stephanie to pick up. But it continued to ring out and feeling disappointed, he was just about to hang up when he heard her breathless voice answer at the other end.

"Hello?"

Paul closed his eyes as he pictured his wife's beautiful face and leant his hip against the kitchen counter. "Hey baby, how are you?"

"Paul!"

He felt a pang of guilt as he heard the obvious relief in Stephanie's voice. She'd obviously been waiting for him to call since they had left yesterday.

"I'm so glad you called." she admitted down the line.

And there she went again making him feel even more guilty if that was even possible. Paul opened his eyes and sighed softly. "I was going to call yesterday but……well, you know……."

His voice trailed off. Stephanie brushed her hair behind her ear as she sat down on the sofa. She knew fine well the reason why her husband hadn't called but he was on the phone now and she was going to take that as a good sign. She had to. She couldn't bear the thought of him still being angry with her. "Its okay, Paul and I understand. I do. And believe me, I really wish I was there with you now. God I miss you so much. It's been so hard here the last couple of days."

Paul could hear the strain in her voice and it broke his heart knowing the pressure she was under. Looking after Mark was definitely taking its toll on her and he felt like such a bastard knowing he should have called her yesterday. Stephanie obviously needed his support but instead of supporting his wife he'd added to the pressure she was already under by acting so selfish and stubborn. At least he could be here for her now. It wasn't much but it was a start. "I miss you too, Steph." he admitted as he raked his fingers through his hair. "I take it things aren't so good with Mark."

"No. He's a real mess. I've even had to bring Chloe here to look after her. When I went across this morning, he hadn't even changed her diaper or given her any breakfast. The poor little thing was crying her eyes out and he was just lying there on the sofa, sobbing hysterically. He just couldn't calm down so I had to call out the doctor and he gave him some medication. At least he's resting now."

Paul shook his head in disbelief as he realised how serious it was. Thank God Stephanie had stayed. His mother was right. Chloe needed her right now and so did Mark. He just wished he'd seen that for himself before he'd stupidly blown a gasket over the whole thing. "And what about you, Steph? Have you managed to get some rest?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I got some sleep although I think I tossed and turned for most of the night."

Paul felt guilty once more knowing he'd probably contributed towards that restlessness. "You need to rest Steph." He sighed as he turned to look out window, watching as the sun began to disappear behind the clouds. "There are some sleeping tablets in the cabinet in the bathroom that I got when I was injured. You should take one of them and at least get a good night's sleep."

"I'll see. If I've got Chloe I don't really want to take one in case she wakes up through the night."

He listened as she sniffed down the phone and it killed him to know she was crying.

"Oh Paul, this is so much harder than I imagined. I'll just be glad when it's Wednesday and it's all over."

"Wednesday? Is that when the funeral is?"

"Yes. I arranged it all today. You will be home by then, won't you?"

"Of course." he told her and he would make sure he was. Paul was determined to be there by her side especially now. Because he'd let Stephanie down once and there was no way he was letting her down again. She needed him and he would be there for her. Just then he heard some crying in the background and he heard his wife's sigh crackle down the line.

"Sorry Paul but that's Chloe. I'd better go and check on her."

He nodded absently. "Sure. Listen, I'll call you later. Let you speak to Ellie and Jake."

"I'd like that. Give them a kiss from me, will you?"

"Sure."

"I love you, Paul."

"I love you too."

As the phone clicked at the other end, Paul hung up and his brow furrowed deeply with his concern. While he knew Stephanie was coping, it was obvious she needed some support. Feeling that nagging guilt again, he picked up the phone. He dialled a familiar number again and smiled when he heard the voice greet him at the other end. "Hey Linda. How's my favourite mother-in-law?"

He heard her chuckle down the phone. She had a good relationship with Paul and he was pretty much like a second son to her and Vince. "Paul, it's a pleasure as always. How are those grandchildren of mine?"

"Oh, they're fine. They're currently getting spoiled from their other grandparents this weekend."

"Well, that's what us grandparents like to do. Spoil our grandkids. I'm sure Paul and Patricia are enjoying spending time with them."

"Oh they are, trust me. Anyway, I hope you don't mind me calling but I was wondering if I could ask you a favour."

"Of course."

"I take it Steph's told you about our neighbour losing his daughter?"

"Yes, she did. It was such a shame. How's the father coping?"

"Well actually he's not and that's kind of why I'm calling. Steph has stayed at home rather than coming with me and the kids. She's worried about him and there's no-one else to look after him or his baby so she's helping out. But I've just talked to her and she sounds like she could use a friendly face to talk to while we're gone."

"Say no more, Paul. I'll head over there tomorrow. The house will be quiet anyway what with Vince and Shane being at the pay-per-view."

Paul smiled. "Thank you Linda. I appreciate it."

"It's no problem. And thank you for looking out for her. I know you take good care of my daughter. Just take care of yourself and be careful in your match tomorrow night. You know I don't like those steel cage matches."

He chuckled at her warning. "I will. Listen, I'd better go otherwise I'll have an irate mother on my hands. I promised her coffee over fifteen minutes ago."

Linda's laugh echoed down the receiver. "Then I'd better let you go. Take care Paul."

Paul smiled as he hung up and walked across to get the cups from the counter. He felt much better now he'd talked to Linda. He might not be able to be there for Stephanie but at least he knew somebody else could; someone who loved her every bit as much as he did.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Stephanie smiled at her mother knowingly as she handed her over her cup of coffee. "Paul sent you here, didn't he?"

Linda could only smile back and nod her admission. "He was worried about you Stephanie. And seeing you now, he'd every right to be." She pressed her lips together in a concerned frown as she took in the black circles under her daughter's eyes and the gaunt expression on her beautiful face. "Have you managed to sleep at all honey?"

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a shrug as she sat across from her mother, tucking her feet underneath her. "Not much." she admitted as she brought her mug to her lips and blew gently on the hot drink before taking a cautious sip. "Chloe's been pretty unsettled the past couple of days. Neither one of us has gotten much rest."

"What about her father? How is he coping?"

Stephanie nodded her head as she took another mouthful of her coffee before resting her cup on her knee. "A bit better actually. But a lot of that is down to the medication the doctor has put him on, I guess."

"Well if it helps then that's the main thing." said Linda. "God knows how any of us would deal with something like that. Heaven forbid we never find out."

Her daughter sighed heavily as she brushed her hair back behind her ears feeling a sudden chill down her spine at the mere thought. "I know. It doesn't bear thinking about really, does it. I know after Jamie died, Paul and I were both so grateful that it wasn't Ellie who had ran out in front of that car."

Just then the doorbell rang and Stephanie placed her cup down on the table and got up to answer it.

"I'll just be a second Mom."

Linda smiled and drank her coffee as she patiently waited for Stephanie to return. She absently gazed around the ornate living room until a framed picture caught her eye. She stood up taking a closer look at it. She smiled as she picked it up. It was the photo Shane had taken of the family at Stephanie's birthday party. Paul was holding Ellie and stood beside Stephanie who was holding Jake. All four had beaming smiles as they looked towards the camera. She couldn't help but feel a burst of pride as she admired her family.

"Mom this is Mark."

Linda turned at the sound of her daughter's voice still clutching the framed picture in her hand. Beside Stephanie stood the boy she once knew. A boy who was now a very distraught man. His hair was messy and dishevelled and Linda smiled at him sympathetically.

"I remember you." she told him and she shook his outstretched hand. "I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter."

"Thank you." he mumbled awkwardly as he ran his fingers through his hair.

There was silence for a moment. Linda held up the picture and smiled at Stephanie in an attempt to change the subject.

"I was just admiring the photo Shane took. It's amazing isn't it? Ellie is the spitting image of Paul while Jake looks so like you."

Stephanie smiled and nodded her head as she took the picture. She ran her finger across the glass affectionately. "What's amazing is Ellie looks like Paul but has my personality. Likewise with Jake. He's still little but you can tell he's going to act just like Paul. They've even got the exact same grin." She looked up to smile at her mother. "Full of mischief."

Linda laughed as Stephanie returned the picture to the mantelpiece. However, her laughter soon ended as she noticed the impatient look on Mark's face. It unnerved her for some reason but she quickly reminded herself that the man had just lost his six year old daughter. Maybe he was entitled to be upset when people talked about families. She sat back down and picked up her coffee cup watching her daughter talk with her old school friend.

"Are you sure you're okay to look after her? I honestly don't mind keeping her here another night."

Mark shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want you to feel burdened."

Stephanie shook her head. "She's definitely not a burden Mark. Besides, she keeps me company. With everyone away at Paul's parents, it's awfully quiet around here."

He nodded. "And I guess that's one of the reasons why I want to take Chloe home. I hate being in that house all alone. It gives me too much time to think about Jamie and everything that's happened." His voice broke away and Mark furiously wiped at a tear that had started to fall. Stephanie noticed this and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realise that keeping her here was so hard for you." She rubbed his back soothingly before pulling away. "Listen, why don't you and Chloe stay for dinner then you can see how you feel afterwards?"

Mark smiled at her gratefully. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. It's no trouble." Stephanie turned round to smile at her mother. "Mom, do you want to stay? With Dad and Shane gone, no-one will be at home will they?"

Linda smiled at her daughter and shook her head. "Thanks but I can't. Marissa decided to go to the pay-per-view with Shane as her parents had Declan this weekend. But apparently they have some business function tonight so I said I would look after him for them. They're bringing him over this afternoon." She stood up and set down her coffee cup. "Speaking of which, I'd better get going. They said they would drop him off any time after one and it's nearly that time." She smiled briefly at Mark as she passed him. "It was nice to meet you Mark."

He seems to almost ignore her apart from a distracted smile he threw her way. Raising her brow, Linda grabbed her purse and walking to the front door, she turned round to smile at her daughter as she pulled her into a hug. "Look after yourself Stephanie and try to get some rest."

Stephanie smiled and nodded her head as her mother released her. "I will. And good luck with Declan. I know he can be a bit of a handful."

"God, tell me about it. That's why I need to go home now. I need to hide all my ornaments and anything else that's breakable."

Stephanie's laughter followed Linda who waved at her daughter as she opened the door and got in her car. She watched in her rear view mirror as Stephanie went back in the house and as the door closed behind her, she sighed. She had an uneasy feeling about Mark. She didn't know why but she couldn't shake it. Maybe it had been his offhand attitude to her but there definitely something about him she didn't like.

Then there was the way he seemed to depend too much on Stephanie.

Feeling a wave of guilt at thinking that way, Linda gave herself a shake. Of course he depended on Stephanie. He was in bits after losing his daughter and it was clear from his appearance he was a mess. Still, it was a lot to lay on her daughter's shoulders like that. Linda was worried about her. Stephanie had such a big heart and there was no way she could ever refuse Mark, not when he needed her so badly right now. She could see why Paul was concerned. Still, he would be home in a couple of days with the kids and in the meantime, she was sure her daughter would be able to look after herself. After all, the guy was on old friend. Stephanie had cared for him once. Still, Linda would be glad when Paul got back. Until then, the odd phone call to her daughter here and there wouldn't go amiss especially if it meant she knew she wasn't alone….

Paul adjusted his elbow pads as he tried to mentally prepare himself for his match. It was in a steel cage and even although he loved it his body certainly took some punishment much to both Stephanie and his parents' dismay. They hated seeing him bashed up and bruised but it was all part of the game.

Paul looked up as he heard the knock on his dressing room door and smiled as he saw Shane and Marissa walk through. "Hey guys."

"Hey. We thought we'd come and wish you luck for your match tonight." said Shane.

Paul grinned and slapped his back. "Thanks Shano, but when have I ever needed luck?"

His brother in law grinned back. "That's right because you are the Game-uh!"

Paul shook his head at his poor imitation of him. "Very good." He turned to smirk at Marissa. "Can't you take him back where you got him from?"

She laughed. "I wish I could."

Shane pouted at his wife. "Hey, that's not nice."

"You know I'm only kidding."

"Yeah, Shane. We all know how excited you get at these things."

Shane snorted at Paul. "And you don't?"

He grinned widely. "Of course I do. I'm going to kick ass tonight."

"Yeah well make sure you do, because if you don't then you're fiiiiiirrrrrrred!"

Marissa shook her head as both men started laughing at Shane's impression of Vince. They really were like a couple of kids sometimes. "Hey, Paul. Where's Ellie and Jake tonight? Are they here?"

Paul shook his head. "No, Lynn is looking after them. Because it's a cage match my mom and Steph both agreed Ellie shouldn't watch it. Of course, she's none too pleased about that. When I dropped her off at Lynn's, she still wouldn't talk to me."

Shane shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose Steph is right. We probably wouldn't let Declan watch it either."

Marissa nodded her head as she rubbed her stomach. "It's bad enough us having to watch it never mind a child." She looked sternly at Paul. "There had better not be any barbed wire in there tonight. That stuff makes me cringe."

Paul grinned as he nodded his head. "Of course there is."

She shook her head as she saw Shane grin along with him. "You guys are sick."

Just then there was a knock at the door and a head popped through. "You're on in five, Hunter."

Paul nodded and let out a deep breath. Shane took Marissa's hand.

"Well, we'll see you after the match." He patted Paul on the arm. "Be safe."

He nodded and closed his eyes and blocked everything out as he tried to prepare for the match. It was time for Kurt Angle to learn how to play the game.


	11. Chapter 11

I decided to post this too seeing it was finished plus it makes up for the fact I have severely neglected this fic lately. Thanks to everyone who is hanging on in there :)

* * *

Chapter 11

Stephanie chewed on her bottom lip as she anxiously watched Paul get slammed by Angle. He covered him for the pin and she let out a cheer as she watched her husband kick out after a two count.

"You really get into the matches, don't you?"

She laughed at Mark's comment as she stayed focused on the television, her hand lifting to tuck her hair behind her ear. "I guess I do especially when I'm watching Paul."

Stephanie didn't see the light toss of Mark's head or the way he watched her with a look of disdain as she continued to cheer for Paul. He couldn't see the attraction himself. What sane person would allow their body to get bashed against steel, barbed wire and god knows what else that had been thrown in that ring. He poured himself another glass of wine and filled Stephanie's again in the process. He was glad he had stayed for dinner. Between that and the drink, he felt he was really starting to relax a bit. It would be the first time in days. Just then he jumped as he heard Stephanie let out a scream.

"Steph, what's wrong?" he asked, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Paul's covered in blood. Kurt just nailed him with the sledgehammer."

Mark let out a sigh as her attention was once again diverted to the television. He would be glad when this thing was over. Before Paul's match they had been having fun just talking and laughing. But ever since her husband's music started up, Stephanie's attention had definitely been elsewhere. She had barely said two words to him in the last half an hour.

"Come on Paul. Cover him!"

Mark watched as Stephanie sat on the edge of her seat. His expression was solemn as he watched her grin as she counted to three. As she stood up, cheering and jumping up and down, Mark realised that Paul must have won. He smiled as he saw her laugh. She really looked beautiful as she stood there grinning at the television. He took another drink of wine before standing up and going through to the kitchen.

"Where are you going?"

Mark turned round to smile at her. "To get another bottle."

Stephanie frowned. "But don't you think we've had enough?"

He shook his head. "Nonsense Stephy. Your husband just won his match. I think that deserves a celebration or two, don't you?"

Stephanie smiled as she took a drink from her glass. Mark was right and besides it was nice to have a drink and try and forget about all the stress over the last couple of days. God knows it was a welcome release and Mark seemed to be in better spirits too. It obviously wasn't doing any harm having a couple of glasses of wine. As her guest appeared with another bottle of white, the phone began to ring. Stephanie jumped up to get it.

"Hello?" she breathed, cradling the receiver between her neck and her shoulder.

"Well little sis, were you watching?"

"Shane! Of course I was. Is Paul with you?"

"Not yet but I've made it back to his dressing room. We're just waiting for him here and if you're lucky, I might let him talk to you."

Mark looked across and smiled as he heard Stephanie mention his name.

"Mark watched the match with me and he's currently plying me with wine. We're using the excuse of celebrating."

As she laughed, Mark filled her glass again and sat down, content to watch her as she stood there on the phone. Her face was animated as she talked to her brother. He couldn't help but think how beautiful she was and how she always had been, at least to him. Dating Stephanie might have felt like a lifetime ago but sitting here with her now, it was almost like yesterday. He had loved her then. He began to think he loved her now. After all what he felt in his heart couldn't be wrong. It beat that much stronger because of her. He owed her so much.

"Paul!"

Mark couldn't help but scowl at the mention of his name and he slumped in his seat, gulping down another mouthful of wine.

"Baby you were fantastic." Stephanie told him as she turned away and took the receiver in her hand.

"Yeah? Well just you wait till I come home. Then I'll show you how fantastic I can really be."

Stephanie laughed at her husband's suggestive remark and hugged herself with her free arm wishing it was tonight that he was coming home. She missed him so much. But of course she'd have to wait until Tuesday. He had RAW tomorrow night. She heard him laugh at the other end before telling someone to get lost.

"Your brother wants his phone back Steph. He's freaking out at the thought of his little sister getting some. Well that plus the fact that his phone is now covered in blood."

Stephanie's breath hitched in her throat. "Are you hurt pretty bad?"

"No but I've got a deep cut in my head. In fact, they're waiting to stitch me up right now. Listen, I'll call and talk to you later once I get back to Mom's."

"Okay. Take care and I love you."

As Stephanie hung up the phone, she failed to see the look of annoyance on Mark's face. However, by the time she turned back round, his face was now covered in a smile as he raised his glass up in the air.

"I'd like to make a toast. To Paul."

Stephanie giggled as she picked up her glass and held it in the air. "To Paul!"

She downed her drink in one go and smiled as she watched Mark fill it up again. She pointed towards the stairs. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a sec."

As she staggered towards the stairs, she tripped over a toy that Chloe had been playing with earlier. She landed with a thud on the carpet and burst out laughing as she realised what had happened. She rolled over onto her back and saw Mark standing over her with a concerned look on his face.

"Stephy, are you okay?"

Stephanie nodded her head. "Yes. But I think I might be a little drunk. I'm seeing two of you there."

She giggled and took Mark's outstretched hand. As he went to pull her up, he staggered and they both fell down to the carpet, Mark landing on top of Stephanie. She snorted with laughter as she lay there on the floor, her hair falling across her face. Mark brushed the tousled strands away and looked at her solemnly as he began to stroke her cheek. Before she realised what was happening, Stephanie felt his lips brush against hers as he kissed her.

Her eyes slowly fluttered shut as the memory of him flashed through her mind. Mark had kissed her before. In fact he had been her first kiss. It had been at her homecoming dance in her sophomore year of high school. A short while after that they had starting dating. Their relationship hadn't lasted long though, about six months if she recalled it correctly. Mark's possessiveness and jealousy had forced her to end things between them. That and the fact he had confessed his love for her and she realised she didn't feel the same way. She didn't love him. The only man she'd ever truly been in love with was Paul.

Shit! Paul!

Feeling her stomach knot with guilt, she violently shoved Mark away. He looked at her stunned and Stephanie shook her head unable to meet his eye. She felt her head spin woozily.

"I can't do this. You should go Mark. Please. Just go." she cried, panicked.

Mark watched her silently for a moment before he got to his feet and without saying a word, he walked across the living room and out the hall. A few seconds later, the front door slammed shut behind him. Stephanie remained on the floor and rolling onto her side, she hugged her knees to her chest. A solitary tear trickled down her cheek as she thought about her husband. Her arms had never felt so cold or her heart so heavy.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she managed to drag her ass to bed. She lay fully clothed on the bed, her mind spinning as the phone continued to ring out. It would be Paul. He always called before she went to sleep but she couldn't bring herself to answer it. How could she after what she'd done? Stephanie furiously wiped at the tears that were running down her face and cursed herself for being so stupid. She should never have let that kiss happen. What the hell was she going to do now? Deep down she knew she should tell Paul the truth but she was just so scared about how he would react. After all, she had let another man kiss her. Surely that was grounds for betrayal of some sort.

Suddenly the phone stopped ringing and Stephanie let out the breath she had been holding. The blood beat loudly in her ears as she wiped the tears from her face. The rain battered against the window pane and the droplets cast shadows across her face. A few seconds later it was illuminated by a flash of light as her cell phone sprung into life. Her head turned towards the nightstand as the melody echoed around the four walls. She had a text message. Her hand felt like it was trembling as she reached for the phone and reading it, she felt her tears burn her eyes.

"I love you. Sleep tite. Paul xxx"

"I love you too," she whispered before clutching her phone to her chest and her shoulders shook with her frightened breaths and tears as Stephanie cried herself to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Stephanie lay listening to the rain as it battered against the window pane. Her tired eyes followed the beads of water as they trickled down the glass. She hadn't slept last night. Instead she had tossed and turned thinking about Mark and thinking about that stupid kiss. Then of course her thoughts had turned to her husband.

Sighing softly, Stephanie hugged the pillow she was holding a little tighter to her chest, breathing in the faint spicy trace of Paul's cologne. It was the one she had bought him for his birthday a few months ago. He always smelt so good when he wore it. In fact he would joke that it made him pretty much irresistible to her. Stephanie wouldn't argue with that. Paul was irresistible to her all the time and as much now as when they first got together; maybe even more so now he was her soul mate and the father of her children.

Stephanie let her eyes fall shut as she thought about her husband. The house was so cold and empty without him; the kids too. She missed them all so much right now. She wished they were home and Paul was here, lying beside her and holding her in his arms. She always felt so safe when she was wrapped in his arms. It was like Paul could protect her from anything, even herself. But not today. Both he and the children wouldn't be home until later on tomorrow and for Stephanie, it couldn't come soon enough. She wanted them here. She needed them to occupy her time and keep her sanity. God knows it was driving her crazy thinking about the kiss and she just wanted to forget about it. In fact, she was sick of going over and over it in her head, trying her best to understand why it had even happened in the first place and then of course there was her dilemma of whether or not she should tell Paul.

Stephanie sighed heavily as she opened her eyes again. It felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. And it was. Not only was she dreading telling Paul, she knew she would have to face Mark at some point today and her stomach was in knots every time she thought about it. But she didn't have a choice in the matter. He would be coming over to collect Chloe who still fast asleep in Jake's room. She wasn't sure what to say to him when she saw him. It was an awkward situation especially considering the emotional state Mark was in already. She didn't want to upset him or push him so far away he couldn't rely on her for help because Mark needed her especially over the next few days. She just hoped the kiss wasn't an issue and they could agree to forget all about it and put it behind them. She wanted to be there for Mark. She wanted to be a friend but she could only do that if he understood that nothing could ever happen between them. That the kiss was a drunken mistake. That anything they might have shared in the past was just that; the past. She loved her husband and would never be unfaithful to him. Her family meant far too much to her to risk throwing it all away.

Stephanie let out a groan and brought her hand up to rub across her forehead. She could feel the dull throbbing; a sign that a headache was coming on courtesy of the amount of wine she had drunk last night. God knows how much she'd had. She had lost count after Mark had refilled her glass for the umpteenth time. In fact, she couldn't remember a time when her glass had even been empty. Opening the bottle of wine with dinner had seemed like a good idea at the time but in hindsight, it had been a lot more trouble than it was worth.

Stephanie jumped as the shrill ringing of the phone startled her. The blood beat in her ears as she looked over at the clock. It was 8am and she knew it would be Paul. When he was away from home, he always called first thing in the morning. Stephanie propped herself up on the pillows as she reached across to answer the call. She tried to ignore the knots in her stomach as she picked up the phone from her bed side table. "Hello?"

"Hey there, gorgeous. Sleep well?"

The deep familiar tone of his voice got to her and Stephanie closed her eyes, feeling the tears at the back of her throat. She tried her best to suppress them, willing herself not to cry. Paul would know that something was up and she didn't want to worry him. Besides, if she did decide to tell him about the kiss, she would do it face to face. It wasn't a conversation she wanted to have over the phone. In fact it wasn't a conversation she wanted to have at all. So she needed to get a grip. She needed to calm down and forget all about the stupid kiss.

Letting out a calming breath, Stephanie's eyes fluttered open and forced a smile on her face, determined to be positive and upbeat. She had to be if she didn't want Paul suspecting anything. "I would have slept better with you by my side." she told him.

His low chuckle was contagious and a genuine smile crossed Stephanie's face. She could picture him laughing, his beautiful brown eyes sparkling as they crinkled at the corners.

"I wish I'd been there too babe. Although I'm not so sure you would have slept any better. In fact, I'm pretty sure I would have kept you up all night."

Stephanie let out an amused snort and felt her spirits lift as the worries of the last few hours began to slip away. Not that she should be surprised. Paul always did have the uncanny knack of being able to cheer her up. He was like her good mood pill or something.

"I bet you would." she replied. "In fact I'll even let you prove it to me when you come home tomorrow. Do you think you'll be up for the challenge?"

"Baby, I'm always up where you're concerned. Including right now."

Paul's snicker echoed down the line. Stephanie rolled her eyes as she wrapped the phone cord around her finger.

"If you know what I mean and I'm sure that you do." he informed her.

She leant back against the pillows smiling hearing the suggestive tone to his voice.

"Well I really wish I could help you out with that."

"You could. What are you wearing?"

Stephanie burst into laughter as she pushed herself up the bed. Paul was obviously feeling a little horny but that didn't surprise her. He always did like making love first thing in the morning. He maintained it was the perfect start to a day. She had to agree because it was always the perfect start to hers. "And wouldn't you like to know Mr Levesque." she smiled into the receiver.

"Yes, I would Mrs Levesque. That's why I'm asking."

"I see the bump to your head last night obviously hasn't affected your libido."

Stephanie's head shifted on the pillow absently noting that the rain continued to fall. Her feet moved under the covers and her blue eyes softened with her concern as she remembered how brutal Paul's match had been.

"Speaking of which how are you feeling this morning, honey? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine bar a few stitches and bruises. I'd complain about the stiffness but I already told you about that, didn't I?"

Stephanie shook her head as she heard the teasing lilt to his voice and smiled. Paul really was something else and she loved him. She loved him with all her heart. "I hope the children aren't around. I wouldn't want them to hear their father talking smut to their mother."

"Now, now Stephanie Marie. You know I would never allow such a thing. And besides, there's no need to worry. Lynn kept them overnight. I'm picking them up in an hour or so. So that gives you plenty of time to answer my question. What are you wearing? Personally, I'm hoping it's the black lace although I am pretty partial to that sexy red silk number you must have bought recently."

Her eyes widened in surprise as she sat up on the bed, kicking away the cream covers and moving the phone to her other ear. She had bought that underwear just last week and had yet to show it off. She had hidden it in the usual spot in her closet waiting for that special occasion. But obviously Paul must have found it and it appeared she needed a new hiding place. Stephanie smiled as she looked down at her bed attire. Paul's "Broken Skulls" t-shirt was hardly black lace or red silk but it smelled of him that suited her just fine especially when he was away. It made her feel close to him.

"Well I don't think you deserve to know." she said. "You've obviously been peeking at things you had no business peeking at."

"Is that so? Well when you punish me for peeking, will you make sure you're wearing the item I wasn't supposed to be peeking at? I'd love to see how it looks on you."

Stephanie couldn't help herself as she burst into laughter. He really was incorrigible but God, how she missed him and right now, she just wanted him home. She knew the next twenty four hours would seem like forever without him.

"I'll bet you do." she chuckled.

Just then she heard a voice calling in the background. Even though it was muffled, she could still tell it was Patricia. Paul confirmed it a few seconds later.

"Hold on a minute, Steph. My mother is on my case again. I swear she forgets I'm not a little kid anymore."

Stephanie listened as Paul told his mother he would get out of bed if she'd just give him a minute. She smiled to himself as he heard him tell Patricia he just needed to talk to his beautiful wife first. Patricia apologised and Paul chuckled down the phone.

"Sorry about that. Now, where were we? Oh yes, I remember. You had just promised to wear that little red number of yours."

"Oh I did, did I?" Stephanie commented playing along as she brushed her hair behind her ear and hugged her knees to her chest. "Funny that. I don't think I can recall the conversation going quite like that."

"That was my mother's fault. She interrupted just as you were about to agree to wear it."

She could only shake her head in amusement, admiring Paul's persistence and decided any form of resistance was futile. Besides, she knew she would do what he wanted anyway. She always liked to please him especially when she knew he would be eager to more than return the favour.

"Well I guess I could wear it but on one condition. You have to make good on your promise."

"What promise?"

"To make love to me all night."

"Well I can tell you that will definitely not be a problem because Steph, I'd make love to you twenty four seven if I could. And God knows I'd love to stay and discuss this further but I guess I'd better move and get ready to pick up the kids. I'll call you later. I know one little girl who will be dying to talk to you."

"And I'm dying to talk to her too. Give Ellie and Jake a kiss from me."

"And what about me? Don't I get one too?"

Stephanie swore she could see Paul pouting down the phone and his deep laughter crackled down the line as she made a kissing noise into the receiver. They eventually exchanged goodbyes and Stephanie hung up. That was when she glanced over at the bedroom window and noticed the rain had finally stopped. The sun was even trying it's best to peer out from the clouds and a soft smile lit up her face as Stephanie got up from the bed. Her feet shuffled across the carpet as she came to stand at the glass and watched a few leaves flutter in the wind before falling to the ground. The leaves were weightless just like she felt now she had talked to Paul. Because it made her realise that one silly kiss, it meant nothing. Not when you stacked it up against seven years of marriage. In fact it was practically insignificant so much so she had made her decision. She was going to forget it had even happened. And Mark would understand once she had talked to him and explained the situation. After all, they had both been drunk and it had been a huge mistake. There was no need to upset Paul and tell him about it. Mark was an issue as it was and there was no reason to add fuel to that fire; not when she didn't have to. So she would keep the kiss to herself. All she had to do now was tackle Mark and make sure he knew where she stood. And with that positive frame of mind, Stephanie began humming to herself as she wandered into the hallway to check on the baby.

A couple of hours later she was pushing Chloe's stroller up the path towards Mark's house. She saw the curtains twitch as she approached the red painted door. Her earlier bravado started to slip. Suddenly she felt extremely anxious and a little awkward about having to face Mark. She never did like the whole confrontational thing. But she had no choice. She had to make things clear to him from the start. She couldn't lead him on in the least or confuse him in any way. God knows he was an emotional wreck as it was which is why she was going to approach this delicately.

Stephanie had barely lifted her hand to knock when the door swung open and Mark appeared. She offered him a tight smile while inside her stomach churned uncomfortably. After all it had only been a matter of hours since his lips had locked with hers and she wasn't in the habit of kissing other men. In fact it had been ten years since she had kissed anyone other than Paul. It left her feeling a little unsure and hesitant about how to act in this type of situation.

"I wasn't sure what time her grandparents were arriving so I thought I'd bring Chloe across early." she said.

Mark nodded his head and smiled. "Thanks Stephie."

As he crouched down to drop a kiss on his daughter's head, Chloe squealed in excitement and Stephanie couldn't help but smile fondly. And as she watched Mark interact with her, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved that Debbie's parents were coming today. Although they hadn't been able to contact their daughter, they had offered to come and stay with Mark until after the funeral. That meant that he wouldn't be alone and therefore wouldn't be constantly looking for her support and leaning on her emotionally. And as selfish as it sounded, Stephanie was grateful for the respite. The whole situation was starting to take its toll on her and she was feeling emotionally and physically drained.

"Listen, can you come in for a minute? I'd like to talk to you." said Mark.

Stephanie slowly nodded and followed Mark into the house after he lifted Chloe from her stroller. She nervously stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets wondering what he was going to say to her. After all it could only be about the kiss and in a way she was grateful he had broached the subject first. It meant she wouldn't have to even if she knew they needed to talk and really, the sooner this conversation was over the better.

"Can I get you a coffee or something?" Mark asked as he bounced the baby in his arms.

Stephanie shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks."

He nodded and placed Chloe in her playpen beside the window. She immediately picked up her favourite rattle, shaking it up and down. Happy that she was content, Mark walked towards the burgundy sofa and gestured to Stephanie to sit down. She nodded at him awkwardly still refusing to meet his eye. Mark sighed softly as he sat down on the cushion. He really wasn't surprised by her reaction. Stephanie wasn't a confrontational person. She never had been, at least when he had known her. And the woman in front of him now wasn't all that different from that teenage girl he had fallen in love with. She was still as beautiful and smart and funny. She had so many of the same qualities that had attracted Stephanie to him in the first place. That was probably a big reason why he had kissed her last night. Spending the evening with her, it reminded them of what they used to have and he had enjoyed it. It was almost if the clock had turned back time and they were those same people again. The only difference was they were older and of course Stephanie was married to someone else.

Mark raked his fingers through his hair as Stephanie took the seat next to him. He could see the dark circles under her big blue eyes. She obviously hadn't slept last night. Neither had he. He had been too busy replaying their kiss and working out in his head what he was going to say to her. God knows he had rehearsed it about a million times. He just couldn't fuck this up and risk losing Stephanie from his life. Not when he needed her so badly. And he did need her. Right now she was the only thing holding him together. She was his sanity. So that's why he had to settle. He had to lie and pretend the kiss meant nothing to him because he couldn't send her running scared. If Stephanie even suspected his feelings towards her were anything less than friendly, she would run scared especially when there was her husband to consider. Stephanie was nothing if not loyal and she would never continue their friendship if she thought it might jeopardise her marriage. She loved Paul even if he hated the bastard's guts. It was nothing personal though. Levesque had just married the wrong girl. His girl.

Taking a few more seconds to simply admire her, Mark nervously cleared his throat and began. "I guess I owe you a huge apology." he said.

Stephanie shook her head and her face instantly relaxed as her relieved smile lit up her face. She removed her hands from her pockets resting them on her lap. "It's okay. Don't worry about it. I probably owe you one too."

"No, you don't." Mark smiled as he lifted his shoulder in an apologetic shrug.

"Look I'm not making excuses for what happened last night. I know kissing you was wrong but I was drunk and well, I just got carried away with myself. I don't know. I guess I'm just a bit all over the place right now. I took your kindness and your hospitality to mean something else and that was stupid of me."

Stephanie's expression softened and she reached across to pat his knee reassuringly. "Look, it's okay. I understand. You've been through a lot the past few days."

Mark shook his head. "Maybe so but it was no excuse for what I did last night." His hand moved to cover Stephanie's as it rested on his leg and he squeezed it gently. "You've been such a help to me since Jamie died. You've been my strength when I needed it. I don't know how I would have coped without you. It's thanks to you I've been able to get through the last few days. You're a good friend Stephanie."

His words were sincere and Stephanie was touched.

"I'm just glad I could be there for you. I know how difficult it's been for you." she smiled as she withdrew her hand from his knee and brushed away a stray hair that had fallen across her face. She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "Look, let's just forget all about last night. As far as I'm concerned, it never happened."

"Thank you."

"You've nothing to thank me for, Mark. I'm just relieved we could both agree it was a mistake."

Mark nodded silently wondering what Stephanie might think if he could actually tell her the truth. That the kiss wasn't mistake. In fact the mistake was him letting her go in the first place because Stephanie had been the one. No one else had compared to her, not even Debbie, the mother of his children. At the tender age of seventeen, he had known his future and it was a future that had been out of reach right until the point where he had been offered this second chance. And this was a second chance for both of them. After all, it could be nothing more than fate that led him here, to move into the same street as Stephanie McMahon. What were the odds of that happening without some sort of divine intervention? That's why he knew they were destined to be together, somehow, someway.

"I think somebody wants their Daddy."

Stephanie's remark lifted Mark from his thoughts. He looked over at Chloe who had thrown her rattle in his direction and was sitting watching him with her toothless smile.

"Dada."

"I'll let you see to her." Stephanie smiled getting to her feet and Mark accompanied her to the door. She stepped outside and turned on the step to face him.

"If you need anything, anything at all, you know just give me a call, right."

Mark nodded, smiling at her gratefully. "I know. Thanks Steph."

"Anytime." she waved as she began to walk down the path, hearing the door close over behind her. The bright sun hit her face as it filtered through the clouds momentarily warming her skin. She lifted her face feeling her troubles melt away. They were replaced with relief; relief that Mark had apologised and agreed the kiss was a mistake. She had obviously been fretting for no reason whatsoever. But she would worry no longer. She had cleared the air with Mark and everything was as it should be. Now she could concentrate on her family and look forward to them coming home. Because her family was what she lived for. They meant everything to her. She just had to try and survive the next twenty four hours without them starting with a nice long bubble bath and a relaxing glass of wine.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Stephanie curled up on the couch, her hand wrapped around her mug of coffee as she casually flicked through the channels. The television was the only light in the room illuminating the decorated walls. She wasn't really looking for any program in particular, just something to occupy her time until RAW began. Because she had never missed a show, not one since she had left on maternity leave almost six years ago. Of course that maternity leave had somehow turned into an indefinite sabbatical. It was strange really. When she had discovered she was pregnant, Stephanie had never imagined being so content just raising her children. She always thought she would yearn to be so much more. Her career had been so important to her and she was so passionate about the business. She couldn't imagine the company her family built not being a huge part of her life but as the time got closer to return to work, the mere thought of leaving her baby made her ache inside. She didn't want to miss her first word, her first step, her first anything. So she had made her decision to be a stay-at-home mother much to Paul's surprise and her own. But it wasn't a decision she had taken lightly. God knows she had chewed Paul's ear off so many times fretting over whether she was doing the right thing. She didn't want to leave her child but she didn't want to resent her either. Her independence was a huge part of who she was. She didn't want to feel swallowed up by just being a mother and a wife. But eventually her decision had been made when Paul had turned to her one night and told her to just follow her heart. Part of her had wondered if it could ever be that simple. It turned out that it was. Her heart was with her children and her family and she hadn't regretted her decision for one second since.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Stephanie tossed the remote to the cushion of the sofa. Her eyes settled on the television before widening in surprise a few moments later when a set of car lights streamed through the open curtains. Raising her brow, she wondered who it could be. She wasn't in the habit of receiving late night visitors. Placing her coffee cup on the table, Stephanie got up from the sofa and walking towards the large bay window, she peered out the glass. That was when she was surprised all over again when she recognised the Escalade outside and realised it was Paul. Her mind began to wonder why he was here. He was supposed to be in New Hampshire right now. He was supposed to be working the show. He hadn't mentioned coming home at all when she had talked to him early this afternoon which only made her worry why he was here now.

As Stephanie made her way out of the house, she triggered the security light which lit up the front entrance and drive. She arrived at the car just as Paul opened the door and got out of the front seat. Her panicked mind worked over time as her concerned eyes quickly travelled over him before searching the back windows of the car.

"Paul, what are you doing here? Is everything okay? Are the kids okay?" she asked frantically.

She saw Paul nod his head as he walked across to her and the gentle heat of his hands on her shoulders reassured her as well as the warm smile he offered her.

"Everything's fine so you can stop worrying."

Stephanie nodded her head as she let out a shaky breath. The light breeze blew the soft strands of her hair and brought the strange smell to her attention. Her nose scrunched in confusion as she looked at her husband, lightly sniffing in his direction.

"Paul, what the hell is that smell? It's like sick or something."

He sighed softly as he kissed the top of her head. "Ding ding. Give yourself a prize. Your son decided to throw up on his daddy when we got off the plane tonight. Although I thought I'd cleaned up not too badly."

Paul lifted his shirt up and sniffed in its direction. He instantly recoiled, screwing up his face in disgust. Stephanie's laughter carried in the wind. He playfully shook his head and pointed at her.

"It's not funny, you know. It's about the fourth time that's happened today."

"My poor baby." Stephanie taunted as she lightly caressed Paul's face before wandering across to the back window of the car. She could see Jake was fast asleep, his head resting against the side of the padded car seat. Her fingers traced the glass watching him and Ellie who was snuggled into the side of her brother, her head flopped against his arm. She smiled softly feeling Paul behind her and leant into him as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"As you can see, he's sleeping like an angel. I think it's just a virus or something."

"Is that why you came back early?"

Paul nodded and smiled as Stephanie turned in his arms, looking up at him. "I just wanted to get him home. I knew he was getting sick when Mom took his temperature this morning. So I cleared it with Vince and got an earlier flight." He bent down to place a soft kiss on his wife's lips. "Come on. Let's get the kids inside. It's getting cold out here."

Stephanie subconsciously rubbed her arms as Paul let her go and walked round the other side of the car to get Ellie. There was a definite chill to the air and she felt her skin prickle underneath her sweater as she watched Paul tend to their daughter. She opened the door to get Jake. As she picked him up carefully from his seat, she noticed he felt extremely warm. She adjusted him in her arms and as she placed her fingers across his forehead, she noticed it was hot and clammy. She pressed her lips to his cheek and held him closely.

"Poor little Jake. You're burning up."

Paul wore a concerned expression as he walked round with Ellie, her face hidden by her blonde curls as it rested on his shoulder. "Is he feeling hot again?"

Stephanie nodded her head as she reached out to touch Ellie's back. She rubbed it affectionately. "He's definitely come down with something."

"Then I'm glad I brought him home."

"Me too."

Paul followed on behind Stephanie as they took the children into the house. The heat instantly hit his chilled skin and he felt his nose tingle as it began to thaw. He placed Ellie down on the sofa, resting her head against the arm of the chair. He stood up and smiled at Stephanie who was watching him curiously. "I promised her she could stay up to say hello to you." he explained. "She's desperate to see you and show off the new dress and shoes her Grandma bought her."

Stephanie smiled fondly as she rocked Jake gently in her arms. "I take it they were spoiled rotten."

"Of course."

"Well they're not expecting her at school tomorrow anyway. I think I'll keep her at home."

"I'm sure she won't complain about that." Paul said and jangling the car keys in his hand, he dropped a kiss on Stephanie's head as he brushed past her. "I'll go and bring in the rest of the stuff from the car."

"Okay. I'll just get Jake settled. He's out like a light."

Paul's face wore a smile as he watched his wife cradle their son even closer as she carried him up the stairs. He had to admit he was relieved they were home. Travelling with two children wasn't easy especially when one of them was sick. And of course having a throbbing headache hadn't helped matters either. Despite the pills he had taken it still hurt like a son of a bitch. Absently rubbing his fingers against his right temple, Paul looked across towards the television. He noticed that RAW had started and Jericho was cutting a promo in the ring. For the first time in a long time, he was glad he wasn't there. He sure as hell couldn't have wrestled tonight even if he'd wanted to. He wasn't sure his body could have taken it. And as Paul made his way out to the car, he chuckled to himself. He really was starting to sound like one of the old timers the difference being he wasn't ready to hang up his boots. Not yet and probably not ever.

Paul grabbed the bags from the trunk and hoisting them over his left shoulder he locked the car and carried them back to the house. As he closed the front door over and dumped the bags on the floor, he let out a loud yawn as he wandered into the living room. He rubbed at his eyes and when he looked up, he was met with a pair of similar ones which were staring at him from the couch. He smiled at his daughter who was now sitting up, awake and alert.

"Ready to go to bed now, short stuff?" he teased.

Ellie scowled as she crossed her arms over her chest. She pouted her lips at him as she glared. "But you said I could stay up and show Mommy my new things. You promised."

Paul playfully slapped his forehead pretending he had forgotten but suddenly flinched as he felt the stabbing pain that shot through his head. He clenched his teeth together as the pain passed. Damn stitches. He had forgotten about them. But his grimace quickly turned to a smile as he heard his daughter giggle. Paul shook his head as he sat down next to her and poked her gently in the side. "What's so funny, Miss Ellie?"

"You're silly Daddy. You hurt yourself."

"Oh I'm silly am I?"

Paul grabbed for Ellie and throwing her down on the cushions, he began to tickle her sides. Ellie screamed and kicked her legs as she thrashed around underneath.

"Stop Daddy. Please stop. Please. I didn't mean it."

Her shriek was bubbling with her laughter. As Paul's hand moved to ruffle her hair, Ellie managed to wriggle free. Her animated face beamed back at him.

"Can I go and see Mommy now?"

"Sure. I'll race you."

Paul shot up from the sofa and made a mad dash for the stairs. He grinned as he heard Ellie giggling behind him and he turned round as he reached the top landing. He threw his arms triumphantly in the air.

"What do you know? Daddy wins again."

Ellie was still laughing as she reached the top step. He picked her up in his arms and made his way along the hallway looking for Stephanie. He poked his head in the nursery but noticed she wasn't there. He found her in the bathroom, turning on the faucet in the bath with one arm while she sat on the edge of the tub and held Jake in the other. Their son was fully awake and seemed quite content, wearing only his diaper as he sucked on his thumb.

"Mommy!"

Stephanie looked up and beamed at her little girl. "Hi my sweetheart."

Paul had wandered across in her direction and lowered Ellie enough that she could kiss her perfect lips.

"Did you have a good time with Daddy?" she asked.

Ellie's curls bounced up and down as she enthusiastically nodded her head. "But I missed you lots and lots. Can I show you my new dress?"

Stephanie laughed and nodded. "Sure but I just want to run Jake a bath first, okay?"

Ellie's moan of disappointment told them it was far from okay. Paul shook his head in amusement as he grinned at Stephanie.

"How about we do a swap? I'll give Jake his bath and Miss Ellie here can show off her new clothes."

He saw Ellie beam with delight as he placed her down on the floor. Stephanie mouthed a thank you as she handed Jake over. Paul was relieved to notice that his skin didn't feel as hot and clammy as it did earlier. It was still warm to the touch though and his eyes were extremely heavy. He also stank of vomit.

"Come on little man. Let's get you freshened up before bed."

Stephanie smiled at him as she took their daughter's hand. "You might want take your own advice."

Ellie giggled as Paul stuck his tongue out at them. As he turned round to check on the water, Stephanie and Ellie left the bathroom and made their way back down the stairs. Stephanie saw the bags at the front door where Paul had left them earlier. She watched Ellie rush over and try to drag one of them along the floor.

"My dress is in this one, Mommy."

Stephanie smiled as she took the bag from her daughter. She lifted it up and placed it on the chair in front of her. She unzipped it and as she opened it, she saw the lilac dress folded neatly on top.

"Daddy put it there for when we got home."

Stephanie grinned at her daughter as she pulled out the dress in front of her. "That was very clever of Daddy, wasn't it?"

Ellie nodded her head as Stephanie pulled out the matching shoes. She whistled in appreciation.

"Ellie, your stuff is beautiful. Did you pick it all by yourself?"

"Uh huh. Do you want to see it on?"

Stephanie ruffled her wayward curls affectionately. "Of course I do. I can't wait to see what it looks like."

"And can I wear it when you watch Cinderella with me?"

Stephanie raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Don't you think it's a little late for watching movies?"

Ellie scowled as she took the dress that her mother held out to her. "But I asked Daddy on the plane and he said yes."

"Well, if Daddy said it's alright, then I guess we can."

"Yay!"

Stephanie shook her head in amusement as Ellie began to strip off her clothes. As she let out a tired yawn, she decided she really would have to talk to Paul. He needed to learn how to say no to the children. Ellie already had him wound round her little finger and it wouldn't be long before Jake cottoned on that when it came to his children, his daddy was a soft touch. He always had been. But right now, she was just pleased to have Paul and her children home especially after everything that had been happening with Mark.

Shaking her head, Stephanie refused to dwell on that thought any longer. She also ignored the wave of guilt she felt at keeping it from Paul. But really, what was the point in telling him and upsetting him in the process. What happened had happened and it was all over now. It had been a mistake and one that would never happen again. And actually now her family was home, it was pretty easy to put the kiss and Mark to the back of her mind.

"Mommy, do you like it?"

Ellie's voice caught her attention and turning to her daughter, Stephanie happily focused on her forgetting everything else.

A couple of hours or so later, Stephanie was upstairs. She shut the door over behind her making sure to leave the night light on at the side of Ellie's bed. Her daughter was fast asleep after crashing out watching the movie. Yawning heavily as she wandered along the hallway, Stephanie realised she must have crashed out too. She had woken up on the sofa with Ellie in her arms and the movie over. She guessed the lack of sleep from the previous night was catching up with her.

Raking her hands through her hair, Stephanie quickly checked in on Jake. She was surprised to see his room in complete darkness. He usually had a light on too in case he woke through the night. Paul must have forgotten to leave it on. As she crossed the room and flicked the switch, she glanced over at the crib. It was empty and the covers still neat and tidy. Jake wasn't here but she had a pretty good idea where he would be.

Smiling, Stephanie flicked the switch once more bathing the room in darkness. Walking into her bedroom, she paused, lingering in the middle of the floor for a moment. Her heart swelled with love and pride as she took in the sight in front of her.

Paul was on his back, his head propped up by the soft pillows. His blonde hair was fanned across the white cotton. Jake was lying spread across his bare, muscular chest. They were both fast asleep with Jake's chubby hand wrapped tightly around Paul's finger. The dimmed light from the nightstand illuminated their beautiful faces which were both turned to her. In that moment, she wondered how she could have ever gotten so lucky; to have everything she ever wanted right here under this roof. Because her family, they meant everything to her. Her husband was so much more than she had ever dreamt possible. Her children were so beautiful and absolutely perfect. In fact her family were her entire world. She loved them with all her heart and soul. She really was truly blessed in her life.

Smiling, Stephanie tiptoed towards the other side of the bed, careful not to wake them up. She quickly removed her clothes and pulling on her pyjamas, she slowly crawled into the bed beside them. She pulled up the covers which had managed to fall away and as she smoothed back her son's hair, she was pleased to find he was cool to the touch. She gently leant across and kissed the back of his head before placing a soft kiss on Paul's cheek. She smiled as he mumbled something in his sleep before turning his head towards her. Stephanie carefully reached across him to switch off the light before lying back down on the bed. She shifted her body to lie on her side, facing her husband and son and wrapped her arm across them both. The soft white light of the moon gently danced across Paul's face and he looked so peaceful as he slept. Stephanie felt her heart swell as she lay just watching him listening to his steady breathing. Her hand gently rubbed her son's small back. It wasn't long before she felt her eyes get heavy and as she closed them, Stephanie's whispers of love echoed in the silent room before her breathing evened out and she fell asleep next to them.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"God-damn-it!"

Paul yelped out in pain as he got half-way down the stairs. He sat down on the step, holding up his bare foot in front of him to inspect it. There was nothing there apart from a tiny red mark on his toe but it was sore nonetheless. It had obviously been caused by whatever the hell it was he had just stood on. As his eyes scanned the plush carpet for evidence of the offending object, he saw the white sparkle out of the corner of his eye. Brushing his damp hair behind his ears, he reached over to pick it up and saw it was one of the diamond stud earrings the kids had given Stephanie for her birthday. He shook his head and smiled as he stood up from the step. Just before he'd taken his shower, he'd heard Stephanie tell Ellie to take better care of her things after she had lost yet another piece of furniture from her toy doll house. It looked like his wife needed to listen to her own advice. He placed the earring in the pocket of blue denim jeans and seeing the living room was empty, he made his way into the kitchen.

He found Ellie was in there sitting at the kitchen table, her curls covering her face as she scribbled away furiously at the piece of paper in front of her. He walked across and as he leant over her shoulder, he ruffled her hair affectionately. "What ya making there, toots?"

"A fairy castle." Just then, her head snapped up and she whisked the paper away from under her. "Daddy! You're dripping water all over my picture."

"I'm sorry Miss Ellie." Paul chuckled and kissed her hair before walking across and opening the cupboard in front of him.

"You should get Mommy to dry your hair. I never drip when she does mine."

Paul chuckled and turned round to see his daughter scribbling away again. Her tongue peeked out in the corner of her mouth as she moved the brown crayon back and forward across the page. She loved drawing and for her age, she was pretty damn good. She had obviously taken after him when it came to her artistic abilities and deep down, that made him proud. She took after Stephanie in so many other ways that it was nice to know there was something of him in their daughter.

"Speaking of Mommy, where is she?" he asked.

"In her office on the phone with Grandma Linda."

Ellie looked up to see her father produce the cookie tin from the cupboard. He opened it up and popping one in his mouth, he held the open tin out to his daughter. She jumped down from the table grinning from ear to ear as she reached into the tin, pulling out the chocolate chip treat.

"Won't we get into trouble again? It's nearly dinner time."

Paul shook his head as he swallowed the cookie, reaching in the tin to retrieve another one. "Nah. Mommy will be on the phone for ages yet. She'll never know." He grinned as he placed the tin on the counter behind him. "Plus Daddy's gonna be smart this time and wipe your face to get rid of the evidence"

Ellie giggled as she bit into the biscuit and chewing away happily, she made her way back to her drawing. Paul looked down at his black t-shirt and brushed away the crumbs which had fallen with his hand. Suddenly he realised someone was missing and he furrowed his brow as he looked around the kitchen floor.

"Ellie, if Mommy's on the phone, where's Jake?"

Ellie shrugged her shoulders as she finished chewing her cookie. "I don't know. He was here a minute ago."

Paul felt slightly alarmed that there was no sign of their son but then again, he wasn't too worried. After all, he had to be in the house somewhere. The question was, where? As Paul turned round to face the back door, he noticed the door to the utility room was slightly ajar. He made his way across and as soon as he opened the door, his question was answered. In the middle of the floor was an upturned basket of laundry and sitting in the middle of it all was Jake. His back was turned to Paul and by the way his hand was up at his mouth, it appeared he had found something to chew on. Smiling, Paul walked over to where his son sat and he knelt down on the floor in front of him. As soon as he saw his father, Jake smiled and began to babble revealing his green mouth and lips. Paul was unable to control his laughter as he took hold of his son's hand and attempted to pry the green crayon from his fingers.

"Yuck Jake. You can't eat that. Give it to daddy."

Jake squealed in protest as his chubby hand clutched the crayon even tighter. His little button nose scrunched up as he started to shriek at the top of his voice.

"Damn! For a little guy, you're pretty strong. And loud."

Eventually Paul managed to get the crayon out of his hand. However, this prompted Jake's tears and he started to cry. Paul immediately felt bad and he straightened himself up before bending down to pick up his son. He noticed that a few tears had fallen and Paul balanced Jake in one arm while brushing away his son's tears with the pad of his thumb.

"Oh no little guy. Is that real tears I see?" Paul kissed his cheek as he walked back into the kitchen. "Come with Daddy. I've got something that will cheer you up."

Jake was still crying as he walked over to the counter. Paul sat him down and holding him with one hand, he reached across for the wipes which were kept on the shelf above it. He pulled one out and began to wipe the crayon from his son's mouth which only prompted him to cry even louder.

"What's wrong with Jake, Daddy? Why is he crying?"

Paul looked across towards his daughter. "I found him eating a crayon." Once he had finished cleaning up Jake, he threw the wipe down on the counter and held up the crayon in Ellie's direction. "Is this yours?"

Ellie jumped down from the table and stormed across towards Paul with a scowl on my face. "Jake shouldn't be eating my crayons. He'll ruin them."

As he handed the crayon to his daughter, he looked at her sternly. "Well, if you don't want him to eat them, don't leave them lying around then. Put them back in their box."

Ellie crossed her arms across her chest as she pouted at him before turning around to walk back to the table, the crayon clutched firmly in her hand. Paul smiled. She reminded him so much of Stephanie when she did that. It was really uncanny how much she resembled her at times. He turned his attention back to Jake, who was still crying. His face was wet with his tears and he had dribbled onto his little white and navy striped polo shirt. Paul reached into the cookie tin to produce a biscuit which he held in front of him. As soon as he realised what was in front of him, Jake immediately stopped crying and he let out a couple of shaky breaths as his little hand reached out for the biscuit.

"Num, num."

Paul adjusted his son's navy sock which was half-way down his foot and smiled as he saw Jake ram the cookie into his mouth. "You like that, don't you?"

Paul ruffled his hair, glad that his son appeared to be much better after yesterday. He had been relieved to wake up this morning and find his temperature had dropped and he hadn't been sick again since his little episode at the airport. Judging by the way he was chewing on his cookie, Jake was feeling just fine.

Paul smiled at his son as he reached across for the biscuit tin again. He called out to his daughter as he rummaged in it. "Hey Ellie, do want another one before Mommy gets off the phone."

"She most certainly does not!"

Paul's head shot up at the sound of Stephanie's voice. As he looked round, he saw her standing beside Ellie, watching him with her hands on her hips. Although she pretended to have a scowl on her face, Paul could see the laughter in her eyes.

Ellie giggled as she started to put her crayons back in the box. "Daddy, you're in trouble again."

Paul stuck his tongue out his daughter. Stephanie walked round behind him while his attention was focused on Ellie and reached round to grab the tin from his hand.

Paul shook his head as he watched her put the lid on the tin and place it back in the cupboard. "You're a cold hearted woman Stephanie. Imagine denying your husband a tiny little cookie."

Stephanie laughed as he pouted at her with a pitiful expression on his face. She playfully pinched his cheek. "Don't give me the puppy dog eyes Levesque. They won't work."

Her attention turned to Jake who was making good work of his biscuit. She bent down towards him to peer at the green marks that she had noticed on his faded denim jeans.

"What's this?"

"That would be the crayon Jake decided to eat. But don't worry. I took it off him before he could get really stuck in."

Stephanie clicked her tongue in disapproval as she lifted up her son. He babbled something before continuing to chew. "Ellie, what have I told you about leaving things lying around?"

Ellie pouted as she jumped down from her seat, her picture held firmly in her hands. "But Mommy it was an accident. I didn't know I'd done it."

"Well just try and take better care of your stuff, okay? A bit of crayon could have come off and Jake could have choked on it."

Ellie sighed. "Okay Mommy. Can I watch a movie now?"

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders. "You could. But how would you like to stay overnight at Grandma Linda's instead?"

"Yay!" Ellie grinned as she picked up her box of crayons from the table. "Will Declan be there?"

Stephanie nodded her head. "So I want you to be a good girl and run upstairs to start getting your things together, okay? I'll be up in a minute to help you."

Ellie ran out of the room and as Stephanie turned round towards her husband, she saw him watching her with a smirk on his face.

"What's up with you? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

Paul lifted his left shoulder in a shrug as he reached into his pocket and retrieved the earring. With a cocky look on his face, he held it between his two fingers holding it up in front of him. "I just think you've been a naughty girl Steph. I mean, there you are telling off our daughter for being careless and leaving things around when you've been doing exactly the same thing."

He held out the earring towards her and laughed as he heard her gasp and feel her earlobe with her hand.

"I didn't even know I'd lost it. Where did you find it?"

"It attacked my foot on the stairs." Paul placed it in her hand as he playfully clicked his tongue at her, shaking her head. "You need to stop being so careless Stephanie otherwise I might just feel the need to throw you down and punish you."

As Paul smirked and looked into her eyes, Stephanie felt her stomach flutter at his obvious seductive tone. It was amazing the effect he still had on her even with a few simple words. But then again, he did have a damn sexy voice. She smiled to herself as she thought of the night she had planned ahead. She closed the short space between them and placed her hand on his chest. She could feel the warmth of his skin through the material of his t-shirt.

"You can save that for later once you've dropped the kids off at Mom and Dad's house."

She flipped him a wink before making her way out of the room with Jake, deliberately swinging her hips in a seductive manner. Before the door closed behind her, she looked back to see Paul standing with a wide grin on his face. She laughed to herself as she made her way up the stairs with her son. It was good to know she still had that kind of effect on him too.

* * *

As Paul pulled in to the driveway, he couldn't help but glance over at the various cars which were parked outside the house across the street. He sighed softly as he drove the car to the garage eventually switching off the engine. As he got out and began to walk to the house, he couldn't help but think about how Mark could be feeling and what he was going through right now. God knows it would rip his own heart of his chest knowing that tomorrow he would be saying his final goodbyes to his daughter, his own flesh and blood. It just didn't bear thinking about and he was just so grateful he wasn't in that situation. But Mark was and Paul was dreading being there at that graveside tomorrow. He didn't like funerals at the best of times but when a child was involved, it seemed to make it all the more difficult and terribly sad. Because it just wasn't meant to be that way. You weren't supposed to outlive your children.

Paul's heart was heavy as he opened the front door. But his spirits lifted and any thoughts about the funeral began to slowly slip from his mind as he heard the music that was playing softly in the background. It was Stephanie's favourite song and one that they had danced to at their wedding. As he pushed the door shut, he smiled, realising his wife was definitely up to something. The candlelight flickered casting shadows across the dimly lit room and there were two large cushions placed in front of the burning log fire. They never usually lit the fire. At least not when the kids were here. Only the kids weren't here. They were at Vince and Linda's. He'd just dropped them off half an hour ago as per Stephanie's instructions. Leaving his wife all alone to come up with this.

"You're home."

Paul looked up and felt his breath catch in his throat as Stephanie crossed the room towards him. He found his blood rushing that little bit faster as his eyes drank in the sight of the woman in front of him. Stephanie looked breathtaking in the candlelight. Her hair was pinned up with only a few loose curls framing her face. All she wore was her red silk lingerie that barely covered her. Christ. His wife really was a freaking goddess. As she got closer, the light fragrance of her perfume invaded his senses and Paul closed his eyes briefly, inhaling her scent and feeling his body responding to the beauty standing in front of him. The woman he loved more than words could ever say.

"I missed you."

Paul's eyes opened on hearing her soft admission. Her ocean blue orbs sparkled as they watched him intently. Stephanie trailed her finger painfully slowly down his chest until she reached the waistband of his jeans. She stopped and tilting her head to the side, she looked at him seductively.

"So, do you like what I'm wearing?"

Paul could only nod his head. His mouth was dry and he found himself unable to form any words. And even if he did, he wasn't sure they would be exactly coherent. This incredible creature in front of him completely wrecked him. Paul watched as Stephanie began to sway her body to the music in the background. Her fingernails toyed temptingly with the taut muscle of his stomach as she danced. Paul suddenly felt extremely hot and quickly removed his leather coat. Smiling at her husband, Stephanie brought her arms up and wrapped them round his neck. As she pressed her body against him, Paul swore she was trying to kill him.

"Dance with me," she whispered.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closely to him. Her skin felt deliciously soft and hot to the touch as his palms moved over the smooth bare expanse of her back. Paul's head rested against Stephanie's as their bodies slowly moved to the music. He placed a soft kiss on her temple burying his face in her hair. The strands felt soft as silk as they brushed against his face and he breathed her in deeply. God, she was incredible and he wanted her so badly. In fact he couldn't remember a time when he didn't want or crave her constantly. Paul shifted his head and glanced down at his hand which rested against Stephanie's back. The small diamonds on his wedding band sparkled in the candle light and he smiled as he thought back to their wedding day. He remembered how happy and excited he had felt, proud knowing Stephanie was now his wife. It was all his dreams come true and he recalled thinking at the time that he never could have imagined loving someone so much or being so happy. But seven years on, he knew that his feelings for Stephanie ran so much deeper than he had ever dreamt possible. She was his lover, his best friend, his soul mate. She was everything. And it was because of her and his children that his life was so fulfilled. He was happy. He was content. He was just really damn lucky.

As the song came to an end, he dropped his head, kissing her bare shoulder. Stephanie tilted her head down to meet his. Their eyes briefly met for a second and his heart pounded in his chest as her lips slowly moved towards him. She whispered "I love you" softly against his mouth then began to kiss him slowly, unhurriedly. As Paul kissed her back, he threaded his fingers through her hair pulling her closer, pressing her body tight to his. It fit perfectly almost like she was made for him and he liked to believe she was. Because no one else had or would ever come close. It was and always would be Stephanie and he could spend a hundred life times kissing her like this and it would never be enough. He would always want more. He would always need her.

Parting his mouth a little wider, Paul began to deepen the kiss and kissed Stephanie passionately and a little more urgently. He could feel his desire for her coil in the pit of his stomach. His tongue searched for hers, brushing over it and tasting her over and over again. Stephanie's soft moans encouraged him as his hands dropped from her hair to roam desperately over her back. His right palm cupped her ass. Paul lifted her up in one swift movement never breaking the kiss as his other hand snapped open her bra. Stephanie wrapped her endless legs around his waist.

"God, I need you." she mumbled into his mouth as she tangled her fingers in his hair.

Paul carried her over to the cushions on the floor by the fire. The kiss was momentarily broken as he lay her down and Stephanie shivered lightly as she watched him. The flames from the fire softly flickered across his handsome face as he slid the straps of her bra from her shoulders before tossing the scrap of material to the floor.

"You're so beautiful baby." he whispered as he lowered his head.

His wet tongue flicked over her nipple. Stephanie hissed as the weight of his body pressed against her once more. She instinctively arched her body into him as her fingers crept under his shirt, lightly scraping over his back. As his mouth moved over her breasts, Stephanie had to admit she felt beautiful, or at least she did with Paul. The way he would kiss her or touch her, it almost felt like he was worshipping her sometimes. He actually made her feel pretty incredible about herself. He made her feel like a woman; the woman who loved him and the woman who needed him so much right now.

"Paul."

His name fell from Stephanie's lips. As a log cracked in the hearth behind them, she cradled his head lifting his face to hers. His brown eyes smiled back at her, the emotion inside mirroring the words he whispered into her mouth before his lips found hers once again.

"I love you too."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Paul's eyes nipped painfully as he stared straight ahead. A couple of orange coloured leaves swirled in the wind before falling and settling eerily on top of the small white coffin. He let out a shaky breath as he stepped away feeling the emotion of the day start to creep up on him. The people who had come to pay their respects moved slowly from the graveside as the funeral came to an end. As he watched them filter towards their cars, he couldn't help but feel so grateful it was over. The whole thing had been just horrible and emotional and he had spent the entire time thanking God it wasn't Ellie. He hadn't been able to help himself. Throughout the whole service, she was all he had been able to think about. His daughter was always at the forefront of his mind knowing it could so easily have been her that had ran out onto the road that night.

Paul shivered lightly in the cold breeze. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black wool overcoat and watched on as Stephanie pulled Mark into her arms and hugged him tightly to her. From the moment they had got here, she had been the one holding his hand, keeping him together. Mark had been so distraught and each sob ripped at his gut. It had been particularly difficult when the coffin had been lowered into the ground. Paul shuddered as an icy chill ran through his spine. It had been a harrowing experience and one he would be keen never to repeat in his life. Ever.

"It's so hard to believe she's gone."

Paul looked to his left to see Jane, the woman who was Debbie's mother standing beside him. He offered her a small smile. He wasn't sure what to say and felt slightly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry for your loss. Jamie was a wonderful little girl."

Jane nodded her head and smiled. "She was, wasn't she?"

She sighed as she looked over at Mark and Stephanie. Stephanie was still holding him as he cried, his sobs carrying in the wind.

"I'm glad your wife has been there for him. I just don't know he'd have managed to cope otherwise. God knows how we're going to tell Debbie when she contacts us." Jane paused or a moment pressing her lips together. Her left shoulder lifted in a shrug. "If she ever contacts us, that is."

Paul stood silently unsure what to say. He still found it hard to understand how as a mother, Debbie could have walked away from her family like that. It seemed a drastic measure and a selfish one at that. But then again, he didn't know the full story. It wasn't his place to throw stones at people he knew nothing or very little about.

"Stephanie looks very much like her, you know. I almost had to do a double take when I saw her in the church today."

"Sorry, who did you see?" Paul hadn't been paying attention to Jane and had only caught the last part of her sentence.

"Stephanie. She looks like our daughter, Debbie."

Paul put his head down and frowned. He didn't know what to say to that. But one thing was for sure, he didn't like it. The idea of Stephanie looking anything like Mark's estranged wife unsettled him. It made him feel uneasy about Mark. Actually he felt uneasy about Mark in general anyways. He didn't know what it was but from the second he set foot in his home, he had disliked the guy. There was just something about him. Of course he was somewhat reluctant to admit that given the circumstances. It seemed harsh and probably cruel after what had happened to his daughter but it was the truth. His sympathy for the guy didn't mean he could trust him.

Lost in his thoughts Paul didn't notice Stephanie appear beside him. Her hand skimmed his back making him jump slightly and he lifted his head. His eyes met the raw redness of her sad blue orbs and forgetting all about Debbie and Mark, he placed his hands on her arms, rubbing them gently.

"Are you okay?"

Stephanie nodded and sniffed. "Yeah. I'll just be so glad when today is over, Paul."

"Me too."

Paul pulled her into his arms and hugged her, rubbing her back affectionately. His big arms held her tightly, trying his best to comfort her.

"Mark's invited some people back to the house." Stephanie told him as she pulled away and sighed, brushing her hair behind her ears. "I hope you don't mind but I said we'd go for a couple of hours before we pick up Ellie from school. Mom's not bringing Jake back until five."

Paul nodded his agreement. He wasn't overly keen about the idea but he knew Stephanie would want to go. He clasped her hand in his as they made their way to the car.

* * *

Paul watched as Debbie's father downed yet another glass of whisky. That had been at least seven in the space of less than an hour. He knew the guy was hurting but getting paralytic was not the way to deal with it. Although how you dealt with losing your grandchild, he just didn't know. Hopefully he would never get the chance to find out either. As Paul took a sip from his drink, he wondered where Stephanie was. They'd have to get going soon if they wanted to get Ellie from school. But then again, if she wanted to stay, there was no harm in him picking up Ellie alone. Stephanie seemed to want to be here. She wanted to show her support for Mark and Paul couldn't fault her for that. Not when it was proof of how caring she was. His wife had such a big heart. In his eyes she was pretty amazing.

Paul placed down his glass on the table and decided to look for Stephanie to find out what she wanted to do. He put his head round the kitchen door and his eyes scanned the room for her. He could see no sign of her. Just then, Jane appeared with a tray of glasses and she held it out in front of him.

"Paul, would you like one?"

Paul shook his head and smiled. "No, thank you. I was just looking for my wife. Have you seen her?"

Jane nodded her head and smiled as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "She's in the back garden talking with Mark."

Paul nodded and excused himself as he made his way through the women who had congregated in the middle of the floor. Paul shook his head. He always wondered what the deal was with that. It was the same with any party or gathering he went to. The majority of the women always ended up in the kitchen gossiping about something or other.

As he pushed open the back door, the bitter chill in the air prickled his skin. His breath left a thin trail of vapour in front of him. Walking out into the silent garden, Paul peered through the shadows of the remaining daylight. He made out Stephanie sitting on the garden bench with Mark. Their backs were turned to him. He made his way across the lawn and was about to shout out to get their attention when what he heard left him standing, frozen to the spot.

"I don't regret kissing you at all Stephie."

Mark's words were like a punch to his gut. He'd kissed his wife. That mother fucker had kissed his wife! Paul struggled to catch his breath as the blood beat loudly in his ears. He wanted to say something, He wanted to scream. In fact he wanted nothing more than to grab him and beat the living crap out of the guy but even in his anger, Paul knew now wasn't the time or place. Instead, he did the only thing he could think of. He turned around and walked quietly back to the house. He had to. If he stayed there any longer, he wouldn't be responsible for his actions.

Paul blindly pushed his way through the people in the kitchen. His eyes were focused straight ahead and he felt like he was reeling as he made his way to the front door. He was on his way out when Jane spotted him. She tapped his shoulder and when he turned round, she was taken aback by the pure look of anger on his face.

"S-sorry Paul. I just wondered if you'd found Stephanie?"

Paul took a second to compose himself before he replied. It wasn't Jane's fault and the last thing she needed was for him to bite her head off. He let out a shaky breath clearing his thick throat. "No. Em, if you see her, will you tell her I've gone to get our daughter?"

Jane nodded her head and Paul thanked her before walking out, slamming the door behind him.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

As Stephanie absently pushed her dinner around her plate, her mind was preoccupied with a hundred and one things, mainly trying to guess what the hell had crawled up her husband's ass tonight. To say he was pissed off was an understatement and Paul had barely said two words to her since she had arrived home this evening. And okay, she knew she had been much later than he would have expected. Jake had been dropped off hours before and Ellie had been home, finished her homework and created a crayon masterpiece by the time she had gotten back. She had even apologised profusely for her tardiness but her apologies had fallen on deaf ears and now Paul even refused to look at her as he sat across from her at the other end of the dinner table. He hadn't even touched his meal and instead he spoon fed it to Jake who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it by all accounts. Her son's contented giggles echoed around the big silent kitchen. It gave her little comfort to know that at least someone was happy around her home.

As Stephanie sighed softly and glanced to her left, she saw Ellie's hazel eyes watching her intently. Her daughter had been quieter than usual too and could probably sense the tension in the room. Usually the table was filled with laughter and random chatter. It was usually one of her favourite times of the day. Having her family all together around the table was important to her and it was very rarely they ate in silence like this. Stephanie offered her daughter a smile in an attempt to try and reassure her. But Ellie didn't smile back. Instead she pushed her plate away and sighed heavily.

"Mommy, can I be 'scus-ed?"

Stephanie smiled, amused at her slip-up. "You mean excused?"

Ellie nodded. "Can I? I want to watch Dora."

She nodded her consent and her blue eyes followed Ellie as she left the room. Sighing once more, Stephanie realised she had lost her appetite too and picked up their plates and carried them over to the dishwasher. As she scraped the food from them and stacked them in the machine, she noticed Paul smile at Jake before lifting him up out of his seat. However, his smile soon disappeared as he looked in her direction. His eyes refused to meet Stephanie's as he bounced his son in his arms.

"I'm taking him for his bath."

Stephanie nodded absently. She felt like crying as she watched her husband leave the room. Instead she stared after him confused and upset. This tension between them was the last thing she needed today. It had been bad enough dealing with Jamie's funeral. It had been so heartbreaking and it was one of the most horrible experiences of her life; one she prayed never got to experience again. That's why on the way home she had been looking forward to taking her mind off today by spending time with her family, especially Paul. He always managed to cheer her up and take her mind off things no matter what and she had needed that tonight. God knows she needed to forget everything that had happened over the last few days. Instead, there was nothing but silence; a silence that would end quickly if she had her way. Shaking her head determinedly, Stephanie rolled up her sleeves as she walked across to finish clearing the table. She wasn't letting Paul away with this one. No way. When the kids were in bed, she was having it out with him. He was going to tell her what was bugging him whether he liked it or not.

* * *

Paul closed the book and smiled at Ellie who was still wide awake. Her face looked serious as she fidgeted with her bed covers. He playfully nudged her to get her attention.

"What's up sweetie? Didn't you like Snow White?"

Ellie sighed and as she looked up at her father, he saw the sad expression on her face.

"Daddy, are you mad at Mommy?" she asked.

Paul sighed and ruffled her hair. He knew Ellie was smart – too smart for her own good sometimes – and he knew she had guessed something was up tonight. She had been so quiet and he knew the tension at dinner had been entirely his fault. But he couldn't help it. He was so fucking mad at Stephanie right now and the minute he had seen her walk through the door, he knew there was no way he could disguise it. His wife knew him far too well but he would never start an argument in front of the children so instead of having it out with her about Mark, he had ignored her instead. It may have been childish but it was the only thing he could do in the circumstances.

Shifting on the bed, he lifted his knee and rested his foot on the bed. "I'm a little mad, yeah." he eventually admitted to his daughter. He saw her frown and he patted her hand to reassure her. "But it's nothing for you to worry about, okay?"

Ellie's hazel eyes were big and wide as they looked in Paul's direction.

"But I don't like it when you're mad with Mommy. It makes her sad."

Paul smiled and shuffling his body around, he lifted her up to sit her on his knee. He placed his finger under her chin tucking it affectionately. "I'll let you in on a little secret, shall I?"

Ellie nodded eagerly.

"See the truth is Daddy can never stay mad at Mommy for long. It makes me feel sad too."

"So when I wake up in the morning, will you not be mad any more?"

Paul shook his head as he tapped her nose with his finger. "No. I won't be mad. I promise."

Ellie grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. Paul rubbed her back as he held her close to him, breathing her in. He just prayed that come morning time, he would have told his daughter the truth and he would be a lot calmer about the whole situation. He wasn't in the habit of breaking promises to his little girl and he didn't want to start now. Although as his stomach twisted anxiously, he had a feeling it just might not be that easy.

* * *

Stephanie had heard Paul come downstairs about fifteen minutes ago after putting the kids to bed but she had deliberately stayed in the kitchen trying to stay out of his way. She wanted to talk to him but she knew that when he was angry, Paul wasn't the most rational person in the world. However, it was driving her crazy not knowing what the hell this was about. So she had decided to bite the bullet and confront him. She couldn't take the silent treatment any longer and quite frankly it was bordering on ridiculous.

As Stephanie walked into the living room, she saw Paul was sitting on the couch watching television. But judging by the make-over programme that was on, he wasn't paying any attention to it. Paul never watched make-overs and constantly teased her whenever she allowed herself the pleasure. Stephanie cautiously approached him and stood in front of him with her hands in her black trouser pockets.

"Paul, we need to talk." she announced to him.

"Yeah? Well pity you didn't feel the need to talk to me before."

Paul refused to look at her as he started to switch over the channels. Frustrated, Stephanie grabbed the remote from his hand and threw it down on the floor. He snarled and turned round. For the first time that night, he looked her straight in the eye and Stephanie could see the rage that burned black in his stormy brown eyes. His fists were clenched as he stood up to face her and she stared at him shocked and confused.

"Paul, please tell me what's going on. I can't fix it if you won't even talk to me."

"Fix it? You want to fucking fix it?"

Despite feeling intimidated by his anger, Stephanie nodded her head meekly.

Paul laughed sarcastically before suddenly stopping and as he looked her dead in the eye, she saw the disgust written all across his face. "Then don't treat me like a total fucking fool, Stephanie."

Stephanie's blue eyes widened in disbelief and she felt her own anger bubble to the surface. "How am I treating you like a fool, Paul? Okay, I was late getting back tonight but you knew where I was. If it bothered you that much, you could have come and got me. After all, you were the one that left me there in the first place."

Paul snorted in anger as he pushed his hair back from his face. "I left you there because you were too busy having a cosy chat in the garden STEPHIE. That is what he calls you, isn't it?"

Stephanie's stomach dropped as she heard Paul's acerbic tone. She had never seen him this angry before. And she wasn't naïve enough to believe that it was over a stupid name. She felt herself start to panic as she recalled her conversation with Mark in the garden. They somehow ended up talking about the kiss. Paul couldn't have overheard them, could he? Surely it wasn't possible. Or maybe it was. She didn't have to wait long for an answer. She swallowed hard as Paul began to pace up and down in front of her and her face instantly fell as she heard the words come out his mouth.

"Tell me, did he call you that before or after he kissed you?"

She clasped her hands together as they began to shake and was unable to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. Her head shook in shocked disbelief. "Paul, it wasn't what you think. You need to believe me."

Paul shook his head in disbelief. "Don't fucking insult my intelligence Stephanie. You kissed him. End of story."

He ignored Stephanie's panicked whimpers. His stomach twisted nauseously as he slowly backed away. Paul felt the overwhelming need to get away from here and away from his wife. Even looking at her right now was pissing him off. Grabbing his coat from the back of the sofa, Paul made his way to the hall.

"Paul, where are you going? We have to talk. You've got to let me explain."

Paul felt her hand grip his thick forearm and he shrugged her off. He didn't look at her not wanting to see the pain he could hear in her voice. "Save it." he snapped at her. "I don't want to hear it right now."

"Paul, please! Don't walk away from me. You have to listen to me."

Stephanie's eyes were filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around herself, watching Paul hesitate, his hand lingering on the door knob. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of him walking out the door because in the back of her mind, she was scared that there was the tiniest of chances he just might not come back. He was so angry and she was so scared.

"Please Paul, it was a mistake. You've got to believe me."

As he stood in silence, Stephanie took a little solace and a little hope in the fact he just might be listening to her.

"Mark kissed me, Paul." Stephanie continued, pausing to sniff back her tears. "He kissed me and I pushed him away. And I told him nothing could happen between us. I swear. And then I asked him to leave."

Her voice broke and Stephanie burst into tears as her emotions got the better of her. She slid down onto the sofa and placed her head in her hands as she cried.  
Paul just stood there as he listened to her cry. He didn't know what to do. He was desperate to believe her but he knew it was his anger and mainly pride that were stopping him. He ran his fingers through his hair and his gaze shifted to the front door. It would be so easy just to walk out but deep down, he knew he couldn't do it. He loved Stephanie and he had no reason not to trust her. He just didn't understand why she didn't tell him about that damned kiss especially when she was so adamant it meant nothing. Her silence made her look guilty by default.

He sighed and slowly made his way towards his wife. It was killing him to see her so upset but on the other hand, he was reluctant to comfort her. He was still too angry with her. He needed to know why she had kept it a secret from him. He sat down on the sofa beside her and bent over, resting his arms on his thighs. He fiddled with his wedding band watching the precious metal sparkle in the low light of the room.

"Why didn't you tell me, Steph? If it meant nothing, why didn't you say anything?"

Stephanie tried to control her sobbing as Paul patiently waited for her to answer. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and took a couple of shaky breaths to try and calm herself down. As she turned to face him, she noticed he was staring straight ahead as he played with the gold ring on his finger.

"I…I was scared, I guess." she admitted.

"Why? Why were you scared?"

Stephanie swallowed back the lump in her throat as she sat back against the cushions. Her blue eyes stared at the side of her husband's face as she silently pleaded for him to believe her, to trust her.

"It's just…..well I know how you feel about Mark." she eventually spoke softly. "And I just worried that if you knew he had kissed me…well the truth is I was scared what you would do to him. And right now, that's the last thing he needs what with Jamie and everything. Plus, the very next morning he apologised to me. We both agreed it was a mistake and I decided there was no need to dwell on it. In fact I just wanted to forget it had ever happened. I guess that's why I decided not to tell you."

Paul chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully and shook his head. His big hand raked through his blonde hair absently. He didn't believe for a second that Mark meant that apology. Just like he didn't believe Mark kissing his wife was a mistake. Because he wasn't stupid. He knew that despite Stephanie insisting they were nothing more than friends, the guy had designs on Stephanie. That had been obvious to him the second Mark had set foot in his home and he didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit. He would even go so far to admit he didn't like Mark and he couldn't trust him as far as he could throw him. Especially now. So as far as he was concerned, that meant only one thing. He had no other choice. Not if he wanted to protect his wife and his family.

Paul's expression was solemn as he finally turned round to face Stephanie. Her big sad blue eyes were watching him, waiting patiently.

"I don't trust him Steph." he admitted. "I want you to stay away from him."

"But why?" she asked, astounded. "We're just friends, Paul. He knows that."

"Actually I don't think he does."

Paul got to his feet and slowly turned to face his wife. His deep brown eyes silently pleaded with her to understand that he had to do this. He had to force his hand.

"Stay away from Mark, Steph. I mean it."

Stephanie sat in stunned silence as she watched her husband walk away. She couldn't believe he had told her to give up her friendship with Mark. Paul had never issued her with an ultimatum in the whole nine years they had been together and she wasn't sure she liked it. In fact she didn't like it at all. But then again, if she was completely honest with herself, she could hardly blame him because if she was in his shoes, she'd probably do the same. The mere thought of Paul kissing another woman killed her inside and she wouldn't want him going anywhere near her. Paul obviously felt the same way about Mark and she had to respect that. She had to respect him. So now all she had to do was figure out a way to tell Mark that she had to keep her distance. Because she loved Paul with all her heart. He was all that mattered to her. He was quite simply her life and nothing or no one would ever get in the way of that.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Paul closed his eyes as he felt the hot water start to soothe his aching muscles. His body throbbed with exhaustion as the droplets beat down on his chest before trickling towards his waist. He yawned loudly as he turned his face towards the shower head. Paul could feel his eye sockets burning with tiredness. He hadn't gone to bed at all last night and he was beginning to question that judgement. Instead of lying next to his wife, he had opted to mindlessly surf the television channels eventually watching some slapstick comedy show he had never seen in his life before. Some middle aged guy was having marital problems. God knows he knew all about those. In fact it was his own marital issues that had kept him from sleeping last night. Not that he would have gotten any rest anyways. He was still too worked up from his argument with Stephanie. That's why when the sun had started to rise this morning, he had headed to the basement and worked out instead. Pumping iron had always been the perfect outlet for his frustrations.

As Paul pushed his hands through his soaking wet strands, he didn't know what pissed him off the most about the whole situation. The fact that another man had kissed his wife or the fact that Stephanie had chosen to keep him in the dark about it. He trusted her implicitly and had always thought there were no secrets in their marriage. Obviously, he had been sadly mistaken and it hurt to think that she had deliberately been keeping things from him. It also raised the question in his mind that if he hadn't found out the way he did, would she ever have told him about it? And quite honestly, he couldn't help but think that the answer would be no. Stephanie obviously had no intention of telling him that Mark had kissed her and it bugged him as to why she would do that.

Paul let out a heavy sigh as he lifted his face to the water one last time before turning the water off and stepping out the shower. He grabbed the towel that hung over the screen and quickly rubbed it through his hair before wrapping it round his waist and heading to the bedroom. His preoccupied frown soon turned to a genuine smile as he saw his daughter bouncing up and down on their bed. His heart swelled with love as it always did when he watched either of his children. Both of them were his perfect miracles.

"Why, hello there Miss Ellie." he said, greeting her.

Paul grabbed her around the waist and Ellie let out a scream before giggling as he threw her back onto the sheets. Her wayward blonde curls fell over her face.

"Have you finished getting ready for school?" he asked her.

Ellie nodded her head and smiled as she got back to her feet, pushing her hair back into place. "Mommy let me wear my new denim pinafore today. Do you like it?"

Paul nodded his head and grinned to show his appreciation. "You look gorgeous short stuff." He winked at her while he walked across to the huge walk in closet. He could hear his daughter's footsteps behind him as she followed him inside. "I'm sure Aaron will think you're cute too." he teased.

Ellie rolled her eyes and shook her head as she sighed in exasperation. "Daddy, I told you he's not my boyfriend any more. He likes Maddy, remember?"

Paul lightly scratched his beard before pulling a white shirt off a hanger. "Maybe but after seeing you today, I think Maddy might just get dumped."

Ellie's hazel eyes lit up as she laughed. "You're silly, Daddy. Anyway, I don't want a boyfriend. Boys just annoy me."

Paul grabbed a pair of jeans before ruffling her hair affectionately. "Good. Then I won't have to worry about beating up any of the boys in your class." he chuckled as he walked back to the bedroom. Ellie followed on behind him.

"Daddy, are you taking me to school today?"

"I sure am." He smiled at her as he brought his clothes over to the unmade bed placing them down on the crumpled comforter. "Just give me five minutes, okay?"

Ellie nodded her head. Her little face looked serious as she hoisted herself onto the bed and sat there just watching him and by the way she chewed on her bottom lip, he could tell something was on her mind. It was a mannerism she had gotten from her mother. Stephanie did the exact same thing when there was something she needed to talk about. Paul tapped her nose affectionately getting her attention.

"Is something bugging you, sweetie?"

"Daddy, are you still mad at Mommy?"

Paul slowly shook his head knowing that part at least was true. He wasn't angry with Stephanie. Just disappointed in her inability to be completely honest with him.

"No. I talked to Mommy last night and everything's going to be okay." he told his daughter.

Ellie's brow crinkled with her confusion. "Then why does Mommy still look sad? Her eyes are red like she's been crying Daddy."

Paul let out a slow breath as he sat down on the edge of the bed beside her and took her small hands in his. He tried to ignore the twinge of guilt in his chest about his wife and the fact that she had been crying. "Try not to worry about it, okay? I promise you that everything is going to be fine."

"Pinky swear?"

Paul chuckled as he let go of her hands and held up his right hand, cocking his pinky in her direction. "Pinky swear."

Their pinkies joined together and they shook on it. He leaned forward kissing her forehead and smoothing back the curls from her face.

"Now run along and grab your stuff. I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay Daddy."

Paul ran his fingers through his hair as he watched his daughter jump off the bed and leave the room. He couldn't help but dwell on what Ellie had said. Stephanie was obviously still upset and while part of him felt like she deserved it, the other part of him felt terribly guilty because he knew he was the reason behind her tears. He had made a statement, conscious or otherwise, by not sharing their bed last night and he knew wouldn't be the only one who hadn't gotten any sleep.

After throwing on his clothes, Paul eventually made his way down the stairs. He had successfully managed to avoid Stephanie all morning but now he knew he'd have to face her. The question was, what did he do? Did he continue to give her the cold shoulder and upset not only her, but Ellie too or did he make good on his promise to his daughter and try to get things back to normal? Deep down, he knew what he wanted to do. He had always hated any sort of tension between him and Stephanie and it killed him to feel any sort of distance from her. So he had no option. He had to stop his stubborn pride from getting in the way of making things right with his wife. He also had to get over feeling somewhat betrayed that he had found out the way he had. Stephanie had deliberately kept him in the dark and he had to admit it hurt just like it hurt every time he thought about someone else touching her. His natural instinct was to kick the living shit out of Mark for even trying. Of course it wouldn't be his proudest moment beating up a guy that had just buried his daughter and Stephanie knew that. She even admitted it was the reason she hadn't told him about the kiss. She knew how he would have reacted. She knew he would have gone after ark despite the guy's circumstances. If that was the case, was he even entitled to still feel angry with her?

Paul pondered that thought as his hand rested against the kitchen door. He could hear the movement behind it and letting out a calming breath, he pushed it open and walked into the room joining his family. He almost collided with Stephanie who was clearing up the breakfast dishes but she somehow managed to swerve him and deliberately avoid looking at him as he made his way towards the table. His son was sitting in his high chair and he squealed, waving his hands enthusiastically as soon as he saw his father. Paul smiled and walked across to kiss the top of his head.

"Hey, little man." He picked up the red toy car that had fallen to the floor and brushing off the remnants of his breakfast, he held it up in front of him. "Are you looking for this, buddy?"

Jake grinned as he clutched the car in his little hand and began to bang it loudly off the tray. Paul chuckled and shook his head watching him for a moment. He really did feel truly blessed for having such a perfect son. His eyes, his face – everything was perfect about him and it was amazing to think he was a part of him. Their baby boy was a part of Stephanie too.

Turning his head, Paul's eyes sought out his wife. Her back was turned to him as she stood silently at the sink. Her big blue eyes stared out the large kitchen window. He didn't need to see those eyes to know Stephanie was still upset. Her whole demeanour was filled with melancholy and it killed him to see her this way. He never could handle her sadness especially when he knew he was the one responsible for her being that way. Letting out a sigh, Paul made his way across to her. He could see her visibly tense as he got closer and she sensed him behind her.

"Steph?"

Stephanie turned her head and as their eyes locked Paul could see her anguish. He felt that knot of guilt in his chest again; the guilt that knew her pain was entirely his fault.

"I'm sorry." he told her softly.

Her big blue eyes glossed over as Stephanie slowly shook her head.

"I'm the one who should be apologising. I messed up. Simple as that."

Her hand lifted to brush away a tear as she let out a shaky breath.

"I should have told you about Mark and I'm sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I am. I just don't want us to fight any more, Paul."

"I don't want us to fight either." Paul told her as he tentatively reached for her hand. Stephanie's fingers were like icicles as he gripped them in his and squeezed them gently. Her shaky smile broke his heart as she blinked back her tears.

"Then can you forgive me? Because I don't think I can handle you being mad at me any longer."

As her voice waivered, Paul gently pulled Stephanie to him. His arms wrapped around her tightly holding her close to him as he closed his eyes and breathed her in. There was a faint trace of vanilla and baby powder. He could feel her hands grip his arms as she sniffed, trying to control her tears. His big hand rubbed her back, soothing her and he dropped a kiss in her soft hair when she eventually pulled away.

"I promise I'll talk to Mark."

Paul opened his eyes to feel her hand touching his face, cupping his cheek and tracing his skin with the pad of her thumb.

"I'll put him straight I promise. Because you and the kids, you come first and I won't risk losing you. I can't."

"Steph you're not going to lose me." he reassured her as he reached up, tucking a lock of her hair behind her right ear. "In fact, you'll be lucky to ever get rid of me."

Stephanie's mouth lifted in the tiniest of smiles. "You promise?"

"Oh I promise."

Paul smiled back before brushing his lips over hers. As he pulled Stephanie into his arms once more, he saw Ellie standing there watching them with a huge grin on her face. He grinned back flipping her a wink and he couldn't help but chuckle as she managed to flip him a wink right back. It made his heart soar to know she was happy and that he'd made good on his promise to her.

"What's so funny?" Stephanie asked as she lifted her head from his chest curiously.

"It's nothing." Paul told her as he released her and gestured his head in Ellie's direction. "Our daughter is just desperate to get to school and show off her cute little self to Aaron."

Ellie let out an exasperated puff as she watched her father grab the car keys from the black marble counter top. "Daddy, I told you. Aaron likes Maddy not me." She turned to look at Stephanie, her brown eyes pleading with her to make him understand. "Mommy, tell him will you?"

Stephanie grinned as she turned to her husband. "You need to keep up with the playground gossip, honey. Aaron is ancient history. He has been for at least a week."

"Yeah? Well in that case, hurry up and let's get you to school." he told Ellie. "I can beat him up for dumping you before the bell rings."

Ellie giggled as she made her way towards the door, stopping briefly to kiss her mother. "Bye Mommy."

"Bye sweetheart. Have fun."

"Bye Jakey." she called as she disappeared out the door with her father.

Stephanie waved until they had disappeared from sight. Closing the door behind them, she turned to her son and smiled as he held out his hands towards her. She grinned as she unclipped him and scooped him up into her arms. Her lips dropped several kisses on his face causing him to squeal with delight.

"Let's get you dressed sweetie." Stephanie said as she made her way out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. "What will we put on you today, huh? Something warm judging by that frost on the ground. Has Nasty Jack Frost come to visit, huh?"

Stephanie had just placed her foot on the first step when the doorbell rang. Confused as to who would be visiting at this hour, she made her way to the door. She saw Debbie's mother standing at the other side and her brow lifted with her surprise as she turned the key in the latch and greeted her.

"Jane? This is a surprise. Is everything okay?"

Jane pushed the glasses up on her nose and she looked agitated as she shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Mark is in a right mess. Hysterical actually and we've tried to our best to console him but it's no use. We just don't know what to do. Do you think you could come over and maybe get him to talk to you? I know you've been close to him the last few days and honestly, it's getting desperate."

Stephanie felt her heart go out to Mark and her natural instinct was to help him. He was her friend after all. However her emotions were conflicted and her stomach knotted anxiously as she tried to figure out what the hell to do. If Paul found out she was over there, he would blow a fuse and rightly so, especially after his ultimatum last night. On the other hand, Mark sounded in a state and she was honestly worried about him. Jamie's death had hit him hard and she knew how badly it had affected him. He needed someone who understood and given their history and their recent friendship, she probably understood him better than anyone else right now. Jane, although a family member, was practically a stranger by all accounts. She obviously felt out of her depth too. That was obvious from the distressed look on her face and her cry for help. So she had to go. She clearly didn't have any other choice. Mark had no one else to turn to. And if she did go over, she could always make out to Paul that it was under the premise of telling Mark she wanted to set the record straight with him. And she had every intention of doing so when he was feeling better. Just not right now. God knows the guy was an emotional wreck as it was. The last thing she needed to was to upset him even further. Her mind made up, Stephanie nodded at Jane and saw her relieved expression at her agreement to help.

"I'll be there. Just give me twenty minutes or so. Paul is dropping Ellie off at school right now but he'll be back by then to look after Jake."

"Thank you so much. We just didn't know what else to do."

Stephanie nodded and closed the door behind her. She tried to ignore the uneasy feeling she got in her gut as she hugged Jake to her chest. She was doing the right thing. Of course she was. Mark was in pieces and she was the only one right now who maybe had a chance at putting him back together. She couldn't just abandon him. Not today. It was the morning after Jamie's funeral. It had probably just hit him that his baby girl was never coming back to him. God knows how she would feel or cope in his shoes and the trouble was Mark wasn't coping. How on earth would she feel if she abandoned him and something happened to him? She couldn't live with that on her conscience. No, she had to help him one last time. She had to be there for him in spite of everything. In spite of Paul. In spite of what she had promised him. She just hoped she knew what the hell she was doing.


	18. Chapter 18

This one is a little short and sweet. I cut the original chapter in half. Hopefully you'll still enjoy it :)

Chapter 18

Paul popped his head round the nursery door and smiled, wandering in as Stephanie finished getting Jake dressed. "Hey. So, have you got any plans for the day?" he asked. "I was thinking as I was driving home that we could start organising Jake's birthday party. It's only three weeks away now."

Stephanie nodded as she picked her son up and adjusted him in her arms. "You're right. We should make a start, I suppose." She held out Jake towards Paul. "Could you take him for a minute? I just want to fix his cot."

"Of course I can." Paul smiled taking the baby and began to twirl him round the room. Jake giggled as Paul supported his head. "I can't believe my little man is going to be one. You're growing up way too fast Jake."

Stephanie smiled as she sorted the covers. "I know. It's scary."

"Hey, wasn't Ellie walking by this time?"

She nodded. "Yeah, she was walking by ten months. But our son isn't interested in walking especially not when he's got a daddy that will carry him everywhere."

Paul made a face at her before turning his attention back to his son. "You'll figure it soon enough, won't you buddy?"

Jake grinned before opening his mouth to speak. "Da-da."

A father's proud grin spread from ear to ear as Paul turned round to Stephanie. "Did you hear that?"

"I did." Stephanie grinned as she walked across and touched her son's face tenderly. "You're a clever boy, Jake. Did you just shout on Daddy, huh?"

"Da-da." Jake said once again before burying his face in Paul's shoulder. He cuddled him closer as he rocked him back and forth.

"I don't believe it. His first word was daddy."

Stephanie could hear the emotion in her husband's voice as she rubbed her son's back affectionately. "It figures. He is Daddy's little boy after all." She walked across to the cot wearing a mischievous smirk. "Although technically it was num-num. He's been saying that for weeks now."

She heard Paul snort indignantly behind her.

"Don't be ridiculous. Num-num isn't a word." He shook his head as she turned round to laugh at him. "Don't try and rain on my parade, Steph. You're just jealous."

"What? Just like you were jealous when Ellie said mommy first?"

Paul shrugged his left shoulder and pretended to act non-chalant. "Well, it was only fair that Jake said daddy then. Now, we're even."

"I guess we are." Stephanie chuckled as she picked up Jake's pyjamas and began to fold them. But her smile faded as she thought about Mark. She was reluctant to bring up the subject but knew she had to do it now before Jane or anyone else called to find out where she was. She let out a calming breath as she briefly closed her eyes and blurted out the words. "Before we make a start to the party arrangements, I've decided I'm going over to Mark's."

She slowly lifted her head to see Paul's hazel eyes watching her intently as he rocked Jake from side to side.

"You are huh? Why the sudden rush?"

Stephanie swallowed thickly as she walked towards him and tried to ignore the panicked beating in her chest. "I just want to get it over with before he turns up at the doorstep or calls here."

"Well just don't answer him then."

"Oh yeah. That's very mature Paul."

Stephanie sighed as she touched his arm. She could feel the warmth of his skin and squeezed the firm muscle gently, silently pleading with him to understand.

"Look, I have to do this face to face. I can't just ignore him and hope he gets the message."

"Why not?" Paul shot back.

Stephanie gave him a look of disdain and he sighed in resignation.

"Okay, I get the fact that you've got to see him. Just make it quick, okay? The thought of you being near him makes my blood cold."

Stephanie reached up to graze his cheek with her thumb. "I'll be back before you know it. I promise."

She kissed him softly before raising her hand in a wave. Paul watched her as she walked out of the room and he frowned as he cuddled his son. He tried to ignore the uneasy feeling that settled in his gut. He didn't know why he felt that way. After all Stephanie had agreed she had to keep her distance. Mark was a responsibility this family didn't need. He'd just be glad once their conversation was over and his wife was back at home. His wife that looked suspiciously like Mark's estranged wife. Christ. Every time he thought about that it freaked him out. The sooner the creep across the road was out of their lives for good the better. For now he had to just try and be patient and wait.

* * *

Stephanie sat beside Mark as he sobbed, cradling Jamie's favourite cuddly dog to his chest. She rubbed his back soothingly feeling his pain. When she arrived he had been hysterical. Mark had gotten up this morning and decided that maybe now the funeral was over, he should sort out Jamie's clothes and belongings. But it was only once he had started, that he realised how hard it would be. Every toy reminded him of his daughter. Every familiar smell brought back memories that at the moment were far too painful to remember. He had rushed into it far too soon and needed to give himself more time to grieve.

Mark sniffed after a few more moments had passed managing to finally calm himself down. He turned to Stephanie and offered her a sad smile.

"This was her favourite cuddly toy, you know. She called him Scruffy." He brought up his hand to wipe at his wet face. "This was the last gift her mother bought her. I guess that's why she loved it so much."

Stephanie smiled as she rested her hand on his back. "It's understandable. She must have missed her mother terribly."

"She did. I tried my best you know, after Debbie left. But you can only do so much on your own. Especially when you still have to work to pay the bills and you try to juggle that the best you can with your commitments at home."

"And you've done a great job, Mark. You really have. God knows how I'd cope in the same situation."

Mark shrugged. "You just do, I guess. You take it day by day and do all you can to get through it." He looked back down at the dog and sighed. "I just can't help blaming myself though. If I'd been watching Jamie more closely, maybe I could have stopped her before she ran out into that road."

Stephanie shook her head and grabbed his arm to turn him round to look at her. Her blue eyes glared at him sharply. "Don't you dare think that way! What happened wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. It was a horrible accident and there was nothing you could have done, Mark. Nothing at all. So please, don't torture yourself with thoughts like that."

Mark swallowed hard and nodded. He stroked the cuddly dog once more before holding it out and offering it to Stephanie. "Here. I want you to take this for Ellie. Jamie would have wanted her to have it."

Stephanie shook her head quickly. "Oh no, Mark. I couldn't."

"Please, Stephanie. For me. For Jamie."

His grey eyes pleaded with her. She reluctantly accepted the soft toy from him. "Thank you. Ellie will like having something to remember her by."

Mark nodded and let out a shaky breath. "I know I've said this so many times the past week but thank you." He reached out to take her hand in his. His skin was cold like ice as he squeezed her fingers affectionately. "I honestly wouldn't have gotten through any of this without you. You've been my rock."

Stephanie shook her head. "That's not true. And besides, it's like you said earlier, you just take it day by day and do your best to make it through."

Mark looked at her solemnly. "But I'm only able to try and do that because of your support. You're an amazing friend, Stephie. I'm so lucky to have you. I know that."

Stephanie smiled at him but inside she felt like screaming. She honestly had every intention of ending their friendship but it was going to be so much harder than she thought. This man was on a rollercoaster of emotions right now. One wrong word and he could tip over the edge and if something happened, she'd never be able to forgive herself. She needed to give him time. Maybe in a few days he'd be in a better state of mind and she could sit him down and explain the situation to him. He was too fragile right now to even think about saying something. How could she take away the only stability he seemed to have right now. She just prayed Paul would understand when she told him.

Just then Jane appeared in the doorway and she smiled as they looked up at her. "I've made some coffee. Why don't you come down and have a cup?"

Stephanie stood up holding the cuddly toy. "Actually, I really should be getting back home."

Mark looked over towards Stephanie and touched her arm. "Please. Just stay for one cup of coffee."

Stephanie saw his sad eyes desperately searching hers and reluctantly nodded her head. She tried not to think about her husband who would be waiting impatiently at home. Paul would understand. He'd have to. Right now Mark needed her and the truth was she just couldn't find it in her heart to turn him away.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

He heard the sound of her footsteps in the hallway. Paul let out a calming breath trying to control his frustration as he closed over the door to the nursery. Stephanie had finally returned after being gone for the best part of four hours. Fours hours where hardly a minute passed and he hadn't wondered where she was or what the hell she was doing. After all how long did it take to tell someone you were no longer friends; that you wanted nothing to do with them because they were a creepy son of a bitch. Of course Stephanie wouldn't have been as blunt as that about it. Knowing his wife she would have made apologies the whole time before blurting out the reason why and bolting out the door. Stephanie never did deal well with confrontation. In fact she usually preferred to avoid it at all costs. It was like if she didn't acknowledge a situation then she could pretend it wasn't happening. That it didn't exist. But unfortunately Mark did exist and the only way to deal with him was make sure he got the message loud and clear. His wife wasn't interested in being friends or anything else for matter.

As Paul made his way down the stairs, he saw Stephanie at the bottom. She was pulling off her jacket and as she flicked her hair over her shoulder, she glanced up and smiled at him. But he couldn't smile back. He was too wound up and pissed off.

"Has Jake gone down for his nap?" Stephanie asked him.

Paul only nodded his head not sure he could trust himself to speak as he reached the bottom of the staircase. He'd had too long to dwell on things. His worry had turned to anger and that anger had built up to the point that he felt absolutely fucking furious with her.

"Sorry I was gone so long. Things didn't exactly go to plan."

"No shit Sherlock." he shot back sarcastically.

Stephanie sighed as she reached up tucking her brown strands behind her left ear. She had been expecting this. She knew Paul would be angry with her but hopefully her husband would calm down and understand once she had explained about Mark. Touching his arm, she gently tugged him in her direction.

"Look can we sit down and I'll explain everything."

Paul was silent for a moment before he lifted his left shoulder in a shrug and let Stephanie lead him to the living room. Her big blue eyes looked up at him apologetically as she guided them towards the sofa where they sat down. A soft toy fell to the floor at the movement of the cushions. Paul looked at Stephanie oddly as she released his hand and lifted the cuddly dog, gazing at it for a moment before placing it in her lap.

"Where did that come from? I've never seen it before."

"It was Jamie's." Stephanie explained as she smiled sadly. "Mark wanted Ellie to have it."

"Why?"

Her right shoulder lifted in an impatient shrug at his need to question her. "He thought she would like it I guess. That and he wanted to give her something to remember Jamie by. They were friends after all."

"I know they were." Paul replied feeling a little defensive at Stephanie's tone with him. After all, he wasn't having a go at her about the damn dog. He just wondered where it had come from that was all. He had no doubt Ellie would appreciate the gesture. She spoke all the time about Jamie and missed her a lot.

"So you don't mind her having it?"

"The dog? Of course I don't."

Paul pressed his lips together tightly, shaking his head. He was annoyed Stephanie would even think he wouldn't want his daughter to have the toy. He wasn't fucking heartless. His issue was with Mark making a pass at his wife. Nothing else. Leaning back in the cushions to turn to her, his brown eyes appraised Stephanie carefully. He tried to get a feel for how things had gone this morning but her demeanour wasn't giving anything away so Paul asked the question that had been on the tip of his tongue the second he had heard her walk through the door.

"So, how did it go over there?"

Stephanie was silent for a moment as her head bowed and her fingers began to absently toy with the large ear of the dog. Paul sniffed impatiently and touched her arm to get her attention.

"Steph? I asked you how it went."

Her head lifted slowly and when her ocean blue pools looked into his it only echoed his fears and Stephanie's admission that quickly followed.

"Look I couldn't do it okay?" she cried as she lifted the dog from her lap and placed it on the table next to her. Her fingers raked through her hair nervously as she rolled her lips together and lifted her shoulders in an apologetic shrug.

"When I went there Mark was crying. He was upset. He'd just been going through her things and it was hard for him. I think it finally hit him Jamie was really gone."

She paused for a second as she felt her own frustration bubble to the surface. Frustration that in his anger at Mark, Paul had seemingly forgotten what he was going through right now.

"You know Jamie, right?" she snapped. "The daughter he only buried yesterday."

Paul shook his head furiously. "Don't do this, Steph. Don't make me out to be some kind of bastard here."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are." he told her as he sat forward on the sofa. His forearms rested on his thick thighs as he sighed softly and turned to look at his wife.

"Look I know this is going to be difficult for you…."

"Difficult?" Stephanie shot back wide eyed and she let out an incredulous snort. Her hands pushed back her hair in frustration resting on her head for a moment before falling to her lap. "Christ Paul, you have no idea."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked as his frow burrowed deeply.

Stephanie stood up from the sofa and took a few paces across the room. She stood with her back to Paul for a few seconds as she struggled to keep her temper in check. Shouting at him wasn't going to help matters. She had to be rational about this. After all it wasn't his fault she had become Mark's emotional crutch. She had gotten into that one all by herself. Still he could be a little more understanding about her situation. After all, he knew her. He knew she couldn't just walk away from someone who needed her. And Mark needed her right now despite everything else and that included her husband's dislike for the guy.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" she eventually replied as she turned to face him. "The guy has just lost his daughter. He's got no one to turn to. No one to really talk to. No one to help him try and get through this mess. The only person he has is me. That's it. And I can't just walk away from that."

Paul's brown eyes softened knowing that was true. Stephanie couldn't walk away. She would never abandon a friend in need. She just didn't work that way. She had such a big heart. It was one of the many reasons he loved her. But as much as he loved her, he also needed to protect her. Stephanie really had no clue what she was dealing with. As usual she only saw the good in people. She trusted them too easily. She had no idea Mark was taking advantage of the whole situation; of her. He was leaning on Stephanie when he had other people he could lean on. He had family. They should be helping him through his grief, not his wife.

"And what about Debby's parents? Jane?" he asked.

Stephanie shook her head slowly. "He won't talk to her like he talks to me."

Paul rolled his eyes unsurprised. "How very fucking convenient!"

Her eyes narrowed at him sharply as Stephanie threw her hands in the air, frustrated once more. "Do you have to be such an asshole about this? I mean the guy is grieving for his child for Christ sakes. He's upset. In fact he's an absolute bloody mess if the truth be told. I mean put yourself in his shoes. How would you be feeling if it was Ellie that had been killed?"

As her words hung in the air between them, Paul felt his blood chill. The mere thought of losing his daughter made him die inside. He just wouldn't survive it. It was as simple as that. God knows how Mark had even survived this far but despite that, despite having sympathy for him and despite having a vague idea of the personal hell he must be going through right now, Paul couldn't help how he felt. His gut kept telling him Mark wasn't to be trusted. He was using his emotional state to get Stephanie on side or at least that's the way he saw it. And maybe he was being completely unfair to Mark, but he couldn't help it. He quite clearly had an agenda when it came to Steph and why couldn't she see that? Why couldn't she see he was taking advantage of the situation?

Paul stood up from the sofa and tugging down the hem of his t-shirt, Paul reached for Stephanie and took her hand. His fingers loosely gripped hers as he looked into her eyes.

"Look I know its shit. In fact the whole thing is just horrible. Mark lost his child and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Not even my worst enemy. But Steph, he made a pass at you. Despite his grief, despite everything the guy kissed my wife and I'm sorry but I can't just sit back and accept it.

"But why? It was a mistake, Paul. A stupid mistake and I keep telling you this." Stephanie's big eyes pleaded with him to trust her as she threaded her fingers through his clasping his hand. "Why won't you believe me? Why can't you let it go?" she asked.

"Because I just can't okay?"

"But Mark and I are just friends."

Paul shook his head angrily at her reply as he stepped back releasing her hand and tried to ignore the flash of pain in her eyes as she looked at him. Why couldn't she see? Why didn't she get it? "Friends my ass, Steph." he snorted in disgust. "The guy is obsessed with you."

"What! No he's not."

"Yes he is. I've seen the way he is with you. The way he looks at you. Everything." he told her as he paused for a second, rubbing his hand over his brow. "Trust me. As a guy who knows how guys are, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wants you Steph."

"But he's still in love with Debbie."

Paul shook his head at that argument. The very argument that gave him the creeps every single time he thought about it. "Debbie? You mean ex-wife Debbie? The woman who looks exactly like you. In fact she's your spitting image across to Jane. She had to do a double take when she saw you at the funeral yesterday."

"What?"

"It's true. Ask her."

Stephanie said nothing for a moment. She just stood there in silence trying to take it all in. He was sure it had come as a bit of shock to hear about Debbie. It wasn't every day you found out you had a doppelganger and especially one that had been romantically involved with your old high school friend; a high school friend that was now back on the scene. But he'd had to tell her. He had to make Stephanie see why he was so against her friendship with Mark. The guy clearly saw her as a substitute for his missing wife and in his current emotional state God knows where that could lead to. He'd already kissed Stephanie. He'd already tried it on with her. It was only a matter of time before he tried it on again. Of course the thought of another guy touching Stephanie made his skin crawl but this was more than that. He wasn't just acting out of irrational jealousy. He didn't trust Mark. In his mind he was a threat to Stephanie and as her husband, he had to protect her from him. He had to protect their marriage.

Taking her hand in his, Paul pulled Stephanie towards him lightly brushing his lips over her forehead. Her beautiful face was etched with her concern and his big hand lifted to her cheek as his thumb gently caressed her skin.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to freak you out but can you see now why I'm so uneasy about you being with him? Why I want you to stay away from him."

Stephanie slowly nodded her head. She had to admit it put a different perspective on her relationship with Mark. In fact it made her question everything. Were they really friends or when Mark looked at her, did he see Debbie? Did he see the wife who left him, the mother of his children? Or did he actually see her? Stephanie. His childhood friend; the girl with whom he had shared a first kiss and dated. God, Paul didn't even know that they had dated back in high school. Not that she had deliberately kept it from him. Their past had just never come up in conversation. She guessed the whole situation with Jamie took over and made it unimportant. But she could hazard a guess that if he knew, then it would become important and Paul would be even more adamant that she keep her distance from Mark. And maybe he was right. Maybe she should stay away from him. He had enough emotional baggage right now. The last thing he needed was her face reminding him of Debbie. The mother of the child he had just lost. Maybe that's why he had even been clinging on to her so desperately.

"Please, Steph. It needs to be over. Surely you can see that?"

"I do." she admitted softly. Her lips lifted in the tiniest of smiles as she looked at her husband. She could see the visible relief on his face. Relief that she had finally seen sense.

"I'll tell him tomorrow." she promised.

"No, you won't."

Her blue eyes stared at her husband in confusion.

"I'll tell him." Paul informed her.

"No, Paul. You can't." she pleaded as she gripped his arms tightly. "This needs to come from me."

"Why?" he shot back angrily. "So he can sucker you in again and make you feel sorry for him? No, Steph. He needs to get the message loud and clear before this whole damn thing gets out of hand."

"No Paul. Please. Not like this."

But Stephanie's plea fell on deaf ears as her fingers slipped from his arms and Paul stormed out of the living room. She stood there for a second, stunned until her instincts kicked in and she ran after him.

"Paul. Paul, please wait."

But he didn't wait. The front door slammed in front of her making her wince and as her hand reached for the knob to follow him outside and stop him, she heard the baby cry. Stephanie let out a groan of frustration and lingered in the hallway, her mind racked with indecision until she threw her hands in the air and began to make her way towards the nursery.

"Paul, you'd better not screw this up." she muttered as she ran up the stairs, her heart racing in her chest and the blood beating in her ears as she silently prayed everything would be okay.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Paul's clenched fist pounded against the panelled door impatiently. He muttered under his breath as he shuffled his feet on the step and absently rubbed his bare arms which had lightly prickled with goose bumps in the bitter wind. In his rush to leave the house, he'd forgotten to put a jacket on but it didn't matter. He wouldn't be here long. Just long enough to make sure Mark got the message about Stephanie loud and clear. And he would get the message. He'd make sure of it because the guy was trouble. That had been his gut feeling the second he'd laid eyes on him and he should have trusted that feeling because it was turning out to be absolutely right.

Just then he heard the lock turn. Paul scowled angrily as he turned towards to the door but that scowl faltered a little when he saw Jane's face appear in front of him.

"Oh Mr Levesque. It's you. Hello."

The smile that greeted him was cautious. Paul could tell she felt a little intimidated by him and he guessed he shouldn't be surprised after the way he stormed out of the house yesterday and the way he was standing here now. Running his hand through his hair, he tried to put her ease as he offered her a welcoming smile in return.

"Hey. How you doing?" he replied. "I was just wondering if Mark was home."

"Yes. He's through in the lounge with the baby. Come on in." Jane offered as she stood aside to let him pass and showed no hesitation in letting him into their home. He guessed she had no reason not to. She had no clue why he was here and why would she. He'd bet any money Jane had no idea what a screw ball she had for a son-in-law.

"He's just through there." she smiled pointing him in the direction of the spacious living room.

Paul walked in and was instantly hit with the familiar smell of baby powder. Mark was standing in front of the window rocking Chloe in his arms and his face lit up in surprise when he realised they had company.

"Paul. Hey."

"Hey." he nodded.

An awkward silence descended between them before Jane walked over to Mark and gestured to the baby. "It's time for Chloe's nap. I'll just take her upstairs."

"Thanks Jane." he smiled.

Mark kissed his baby girl's cheek and Paul watched, noticing that his lips lingered a few seconds longer. Lips that cherished the feel of his daughter's skin and in the same heartbeat probably remembered the feel of another. His little girl. An innocent life that had been cruelly snatched away from her father. Paul felt his earlier anger be replaced with a wave of sympathy as Mark handed the baby to her grandmother. He also felt admiration and a certain respect. After all he was a father. He knew the love you felt for your children and how they consumed you so much, they became your life. You lived for them. You breathed for them. They became your reason for everything. Yet despite his loss, this guy was somehow managing to find an inner strength to still function on a daily basis and Paul wasn't sure that if the shoe was on the other foot he would be able to accomplish the same. Losing Ellie or Jake would kill him no question. He was pretty certain he just wouldn't survive it.

"So how you doing?" asked Paul briefly putting aside the reason he was here but he instantly regretted the words out his mouth and grimaced at his own stupidity as he saw the sadness in Mark's eyes and the rawness of his pain. "Sorry." he offered as he rubbed his big hand over his face. "I guess that's a stupid question."

"No it's fine. Really."

Mark smiled and Paul noticed the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Instead he looked distant and distracted as he gazed in the direction of the hallway where Jane had disappeared with Chloe.

"Thanks for the dog." Paul continued. "It was a nice gesture. Ellie will love it."

"You're welcome. Although I'm sure that's not why you're here."

Mark turned to look at him pointedly. Paul shook his head and felt grateful for his directness. It saved him from engaging in any more small talk. God knows he sucked at it big time. It also gave him the opportunity to let Mark know the reason he was here. Although standing here and seeing the visible pain and devastation on his face for himself, he couldn't help but think Stephanie might have a point. That Mark was in too fragile a state a right now. Or maybe that was his problem. The guy was fragile so much so he had made a pass at a woman that looked the spitting image of his wife. A woman that he seemed to be desperately clinging on to right now. The thought of that actually gave him the creeps and Paul felt his earlier determination resurface as he decided he was doing the right thing. He was confronting Mark and in turn he was protecting Stephanie from him. He had no other choice. Not any more.

"Look, can we talk?" he asked.

Mark nodded and gestured towards the black leather sofa. Paul took a seat perching on the end of the cushion where he rested his forearms on his knees. Mark was in the chair opposite watching him and patiently waiting for him to begin.

Paul cleared his throat awkwardly as he lifted his head and looked at Mark. "It's about Steph." he explained calmly.

And he was calm. Or at least he was trying to be. After all there was no reason not to do this civilly. The guy had been going through his dead daughter's belongings only this morning. He had a heart. The last thing he needed was some guy coming into his house and going off on one although if it came to it he would have no qualms in letting Mark know in no uncertain terms that Stephanie was off limits. He didn't like him. He didn't trust him and no matter how unfortunate Mark's circumstances, that wasn't going to change any time soon.

"What about her?" Mark asked curiously.

"I guess there's no nice way of saying this so I'm just going to tell you like it is. Steph and I…" Paul paused as he shifted in his seat straightening up and rubbing his palms absently on his denim clad thighs. "Well, we would appreciate it if you would leave her alone."

"Leave her alone? What do you mean?"

Mark's brow crinkled with his confusion. He appeared to look baffled by his request but Paul knew differently. He knew exactly what he meant and there was no need to pretend otherwise.

"I really don't think I need to spell it out. Do you?" he replied narrowing his brown eyes in Mark's direction.

"She told you about the kiss then."

Paul nodded his head.

"I'm surprised. I didn't think she would."

"Well Mark Stephanie is my wife. Of course she told me." he retorted.

Paul didn't let it slip that he only knew about the fucking kiss because he had overheard them in the garden the other day. That was something Mark definitely didn't need to know especially if he was under the impression Stephanie would keep it from him in the first place. In fact it pissed him off that he thought that. And why would he? He and Stephanie had no secrets in their marriage. Or at least they didn't until his ugly fucking face came along.

Feeling his earlier anger bubbling to the surface, Paul let out a calming breath trying his best to hold onto his composure. Because he wanted to be the better man here. Not only that, Stephanie would want it this way. She would want him to be calm and rational. If she even thought he had steamrollered his way in here threatening Mark he was pretty sure his ass would be in the dog house big time.

"Well just so you know it wasn't planned or anything." Mark began capturing his attention. "I guess we just got carried away with memories and stuff. We'd been having a glass of wine and talking about the old times, you see. High school, our friends, home. Suddenly it felt like we were sixteen all over again."

Paul nodded his head showing he got it. The guy was drunk and nostalgic. He let his emotions get the better of him. Under the circumstances, he guessed he understood.

"You're a lucky man, Paul. Stephanie's a wonderful girl. Man, I made a huge mistake letting her go."

Paul's mouth parted slightly as his brow furrowed heavily with his confusion as he looked at Mark. Letting her go? What the hell did he mean?

"I'm sorry. I thought you knew we went together. That we dated in high school."

Paul slowly shook his head not sure how felt about that or the fact that Stephanie hadn't even told them they had dated. It was a pretty big omission considering her ex boyfriend lived right across the street.

"Please. Don't be angry at Steph about the kiss. You're away a lot. I figure it must be quite lonely for her." explained Mark.

Paul scowled wondering where the hell this guy got off telling him how Stephanie felt or didn't feel. It had nothing to do with him. Steph was his wife not his and the sooner he realised that the better for all concerned. "So what? That justifies you kissing her right?" he spat back angrily.

"Actually she kissed me."

"Whatever." said Paul rolling his eyes in disbelief.

"I'm telling you the truth. Stephanie kissed me and if I hadn't stopped her, who knows what could have happened." Mark paused and his face looked almost gleeful as his top lip lifted in a sneer. "She was practically begging me for it you know."

His taunting filled Paul with rage and he jumped to his feet and grabbed for Mark. His hand curled into a fist as he grabbed his shirt and hauled him off the chair.

"What's going on in here?"

Jane's anguished cry echoed around the four walls of the lounge. Paul glared at Mark as he brought him face to face. His chest rose and fell heavily with his rage.

"Just a piece of advice for you." he warned. "Stay away from Stephanie and stay away from my family."

"I think you should leave." Jane requested.

Paul stared at Mark threateningly for a few more seconds before he released his grip and lightly shoved him backwards. His eyes were black with his anger and his face wore a snarl.

"I mean it. Stay away or I won't be responsible for my actions."

Paul turned to leave and brushed past Jane who was staring at the floor refusing to look at him. He didn't blame her. This was Mark's house and she was Chloe's grandmother. Of course she'd want to protect them just like he was protecting Stephanie and now he'd accomplished what he'd come here to do in the first place. He'd warned Mark off and hopefully he'd got the message loud and clear.

Paul opened the front door and closed it carefully behind him mindful of the baby upstairs in bed. The frosty chill in the air nipped at his skin and Paul absently rubbed his arms as he wandered down the path. He could see the roof of his own home above the whispering oak trees that lined the driveway and he knew Stephanie would be inside impatiently waiting for him. She would want to know what had happened and what had been said between him and Mark.

Paul sighed as he opened the rusted metal gate and it squeaked oddly as it swung shut behind him. As he crossed the road to his home, he quickly came to a decision. He wasn't going to say anything or even mention what Mark had told him particularly about him and Stephanie dating. What was the point? Chances were it would only escalate into another argument and honestly? He was so sick and tired of arguing with his wife just like he was sick and tired of this whole damn thing. He just wanted to forget Mark and move on with his life and after today, he could do just that. Because Mark wasn't an issue any longer for him or for Stephanie. He'd made sure of it. Mark was out of the picture for good.


	21. Chapter 21

Thanks for all your lovely reviews for this story. This chapter is short and sweet but I hope you still enjoy it :)

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Chapter 21

Stephanie applauded Jake as he placed the musical phone to his ear. "What a clever boy. Say hello to Mommy."

Jake garbled incoherently before throwing the red plastic toy across the floor and grinning mischievously at Stephanie.

"Maybe not then." she chuckled rolling her eyes as she stood up and picked up the phone. Stephanie pretended to look at him sternly as she bent down to hand the toy back to him. "Now don't throw it. Good boys don't throw their toys."

Jake's response was to toss the phone to floor once more and Stephanie sighed wearily. She was about to pick it up for the third time when Ellie caught her attention as she stomped her way into the living room. Stephanie watched her curiously as she threw herself onto the cushions of the sofa and folded her arms across her chest. Ellie's cute button nose was scrunched with her scowl as she looked across at her mother.

"Mommy, why does Daddy have to go away again?"

Suddenly the reason for Ellie's mood became crystal clear. Stephanie ruffled Jake's hair before shuffling over in the direction of the sofa and her blue eyes were warm with her smile as she took the seat next to her daughter.

"You know why sweetie. Daddy has to work." she explained as she pushed back the unruly curls from her daughter's face and tenderly cupped her cheek in her hand.

"But I don't like it. I want him here." Ellie demanded sadly.

"I know you do and so do I." Stephanie told her as she picked her daughter up and settled her on her lap dropping a kiss in her hair. "But it's only for a couple of days. Daddy will be home before you know it."

"But he's not going to get to come to school and see my classroom and my desk and stuff tomorrow. Everyone else's daddies will be there except mine. It's not fair."

"I know it isn't Ellie." Stephanie smiled as she playfully tapped her on the nose and tried to lighten her mood. God knows Paul felt guilty enough about leaving them without seeing his daughter visibly upset about it. It would kill him just like it killed him each and every single time he walked out that door.

"Listen, I've got an idea." she told the little girl. "I know it won't be as good as Daddy being there but how about if I ask Uncle Shane to come to school with us? Would you like that?"

Ellie instantly beamed nodding her head enthusiastically. No one could hold a candle to her Daddy but if anyone came close, that person would be her favourite uncle. Ellie doted on Shane and vice versa. Of course Paul liked to tease his brother in law by casually reminding him from time to time that he was her favourite simply because he was her only uncle.

"That would be cool Mommy but doesn't Uncle Shane have to go with Daddy?"

"No. Uncle Shane is staying at home because he's going with Aunt Rissa to see the doctor about the new baby."

Ellie's hazel eyes sparkled at the news. "I hope it's a girl this time Mommy."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see." Stephanie smiled and ruffled her hair just as Paul's laughter filtered through from the hallway. She turned her head curiously just as Ellie jumped off her lap and ran into the hallway.

"What's so funny Daddy?" she asked seeing her father sitting on the stairs watching Jake who was nearly three steps up.

Paul looked up and smiled at Ellie. "Your little brother. Watch him when he tries to climb up the stairs."

Ellie stood at the bottom and giggled when she saw Jake lift his leg. It hovered in mid air as he struggled to crawl on to the next step and he continued to lift the chubby leg until after a few unsuccessful attempts, he gave up and decided to cry instead.

"He's too fat, Daddy." Ellie told him matter of factly.

Paul laughed as he pushed himself up and walked down to scoop his son up in his arms. "He's not fat. You're just sturdy, aren't you little guy?" Paul grinned as he kissed his chubby cheek. Jake's crying stopped as he smiled widely, scrunching up his nose.

"If Jakey's not fat then why do his cheeks wobble?" Ellie asked curiously as they walked back into the lounge.

Stephanie was picking up the scattered toys when she overhead her daughter's comment and smiled as she got to her feet.

"The reason your brother's cheeks wobble is because your daddy keeps giving him snacks when he's not supposed to."

Paul made a face at his wife and was about to reply when he was interrupted by his son.

"Da-da. Num num." Jake requested as he clutched Paul's hair in his chubby little fist tugging on it to get his attention.

Stephanie stood in front of them with her hands upon her hips with a smug expression on her face. "I think our son just proved my point."

"Yeah well the odd cookie here or there isn't going to hurt him." Paul retorted detaching his son's fingers from his hair. He looked down as he felt a tug on the leg of his jeans.

"Guess what Daddy?"

"What Miss Ellie?" he smiled.

"Uncle Shane is coming to see my classroom with Mommy tomorrow."

Paul looked over at Stephanie. "He is?"

She lifted her left shoulder in a shrug. "I haven't asked him yet but I'm sure he'll come."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ellie throw herself on the sofa to watch television and she took Paul's arm and motioned for him to follow her to the kitchen. Once there, she leant against the counter and gave him a small smile.

"Ellie was upset that you couldn't make to school so I told her I'd ask Shane to come along. I think she was worried she would be the only kid without her daddy there."

Paul sighed sadly and she could see the guilt in his eyes as he cuddled Jake closer and kissed his head as it rested against his shoulder. "I really wish I could be there tomorrow. I feel like I'm letting her down."

Stephanie shook her head as she reached out to touch his arm and rubbed it affectionately. "Don't think like that honey. You could never let her down. Ellie loves you and I know for a fact she thinks you're pretty amazing."

Paul managed a smile before chewing thoughtfully on his lip. He didn't feel amazing that was for sure especially when his absence was obviously upsetting his daughter. God, he hated being apart from his family and it was beginning to get him down. He was missing out on so much being constantly on the road. It was starting to get to the point where he resented the time spent in airports and hotels when he could be home, here in his own house with his children and his wife. They were his reason for living and breathing. Everything else, well it just paled into insignificance. Paul let out a breath as he tilted his head, looking at Stephanie. He had put off talking to her about work until he had a chance to see Vince himself this week but now seemed as good a time as any. At least he would have an idea of what she was thinking. Licking his lips, he decided to let her in on his decision.

"I'm going to talk to Vince. I'm going to ask him to cut back my schedule." he informed her.

Stephanie's eyes widened with her surprise as she took in what Paul had told her. She couldn't deny she was happy at the thought of her husband spending more time at home but at the same time, she was hesitant too. She knew Paul. She knew how much he loved the business and he thrived in that environment. His blood pumped at the rush of the crowd and the instant gratification he got from his audience. He'd said himself that there was no greater feeling in the world than getting in that ring and performing. It was such a huge part of who he was and she hoped he was making the right choice because when it came down to it, she just wanted her husband to happy. She didn't want him to wake up one day regretting his decision and in turn perhaps resenting her and the kids for denying him that piece of his life.

"Are you sure Paul?" she asked him as Jake's eyes began to close and she ran her fingers through his soft brown hair.

"I'm sure." Paul told her as he smiled at her. "I've had enough of being a part-time father around here. I'm missing out on so much with the kids, you know. I want to be here when Jake takes his first steps or Ellie loses another tooth. They're things I can never get back and they're growing up so fast."

Stephanie nodded her head, showing him she understood completely.

"I also want to be here for you, Steph." Paul continued sighing as his mind began replaying his last conversation with Mark once more. In fact he really hadn't stopped thinking about it since especially the comment Mark had made about Stephanie being lonely. Ideally he would chalk it down to the guy blowing smoke out of his ass in some lame attempt to rile him up but the truth was it had niggled at him since then. He couldn't shake the feeling that Mark was right, that Stephanie was lonely and needed him. Never mind the fact she constantly called him when he was on the road just to talk, there was also a sadness in her eyes each and every time they said goodbye which tore him up inside because he knew he was the one responsible for putting it there. He was always leaving her behind and his constant absence was hard on her; it was tough on both of them and that's why he'd decided things had to change. He had to get his priorities straight for Stephanie's sake and his children. If the last few weeks had taught him anything it was that family was important. Nothing else mattered, not really.

"I know it's not easy bringing up two young kids especially when I'm not here." Paul explained gently.

Stephanie smiled touching her husband's face affectionately. Her thumb began to lightly trace his cheek touched at his obvious concern for her. "I'll admit it can be hard sometimes but I manage and it's usually only a couple of days before you're home anyway.

Stephanie paused for a moment looking into his brown eyes and watching him carefully.

"I just need you to be sure that this is what you want. It's a big decision." she said.

"It's what I want, Steph." he told her softly and with no hesitation. "My family comes first. You guys are my priority now and nothing else comes close."

Stephanie reached up and pressed her lips against his softly, satisfied with his answer. "Ellie will be so happy when she finds out and this little guy will be too." she smiled rubbing her palm over Jake's small back.

"And what about their mother?" Paul asked teasingly, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. "Do you think she'll be happy too?"

"Oh, I think she'll be very happy." Stephanie grinned. "In fact I'm pretty sure she'll be over the moon."

Paul kissed her forehead and smiled as he adjusted Jake in his arms. "I'll take this little guy upstairs and lay him down before I go."

Stephanie nodded stepping back as she watched Paul walk out the room. As the door swung shut behind him she leant her hip against the counter, smiling softly to herself. Now that he had brought the subject up, she found that she was really looking forward to Paul spending more time at home. She missed him like crazy when he was gone and with everything that had gone down lately, she just wanted him close to her. She needed him and she wanted her family complete because God knows they meant the world to her. She just hoped her father agreed to Paul's request. She knew he wouldn't be overly thrilled at losing one of his top stars but then again Paul was family and he'd only want what was best for his daughter and grandchildren. Besides, if Paul didn't have much success, she always did have the knack of winning Vince round. The deal was as good as done in her eyes and she, for one, couldn't be happier about it. Paul belonged with her and in her heart she would always belong with him. It was just as simple as that.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Shane smiled fondly at his niece as he watched Stephanie remove her coat. "Thank you for the picture sweetie. Aunt Rissa will love it."

Ellie grinned as she blew a stray curl from her face and hopped onto the sofa. "Cool. Mommy, can I watch Bambi now?"

Stephanie nodded her head as she removed Jake's gloves and hat. "Just for a little while though. It will soon be time for dinner."

"Okay Mommy." Ellie sighed as she picked up the remote control and switched on the movie. Stephanie smiled in amusement as she sat her son down on the floor. He soon sped off, crawling in Ellie's direction.

"Is there still no sign of him walking yet?" asked Shane.

She shook her head. "He's not interested. Not yet, anyway." She stood up and pushed up the sleeves of her jumper. "I'm going to make a coffee. Do you want one?"

Shane nodded his head and followed her through to the kitchen. On his way there he smiled as he noticed that Jake was sitting in front of the television mesmerised by the movie.

"So thanks for coming tonight. It meant a lot to Ellie."

"It was no problem, sis. I'm just glad I could help." He pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. "So, is Paul back on Wednesday?"

Stephanie nodded. "He said he'd try and make it tomorrow night though if he could. He likes to be home when the kids wake up."

Just then the phone rang and Stephanie placed the mugs on the counter before walking across to pick up.

"Hello?"

There was nothing but silence at the other end and her brow crinkled curiously.

"Hello? Is there anyone there?"

"Paul Levesque, please."

"I'm sorry he's not home. Can I take a message?"

Just then the caller hung up abruptly. Stephanie frowned as she replaced the hand set. "Strange."

Shane raised his brow. "Why? What happened?"

"They hung up." She shrugged and poured out the coffee handing over the mug to Shane. He followed her back through to the living room and smiled when he saw that Ellie was now sitting next to Jake on the floor as they watched the television. Her small hand held his as they rested on her lap.

"So what time is Rissa's appointment tomorrow?"

Shane smiled as he swallowed his drink. "Eleven o'clock."

"You know I can't believe I'm getting another niece or nephew. It's so exciting and about time too by the way."

Shane chuckled. "Well maybe I might want another niece or nephew to spoil. After all, Jake will be one next week. It's almost time for another little Levesque don't you think?."

Stephanie smiled as she wrapped her hands around her mug and the heat of the drink began to warm her slightly chilled fingers. "I got to admit I would like at least another one or two. I mean when your kids are so beautiful and perfect like ours, it would be completely wrong not to make another one just like it." she grinned.

Shane nudged her playfully. "Well then, what's stopping you?"

"Probably the fact that the pain from Jake's labour is still too fresh in my mind. It lasted twenty hours Shane. It was brutal." Stephanie chuckled as she took a sip of the hot drink. "You are bringing Declan to Jake's party on Sunday, aren't you?"

Shane nodded. "Yep. We're going to come with Mom and Dad." He put his mug on the table and looked at his watch. "Speaking of Declan, I'd better pick him up from his friend's house. I said I'd be there by eight and it's nearly that now." He stood up and grabbed his coat from the back of the sofa. Stephanie got up ruffling his hair affectionately.

"Thanks again for coming with us bro."

Shane pulled her into a hug. "You're welcome." He raised his hand as he walked towards the door. "Bye Ellie. Bye Jake."

Stephanie rolled her eyes at the silent response although she wasn't surprised. When it came to a Disney movie, her kids were in a world of their own, especially Ellie. Paul liked to joke that she was just like her mother enthralled by fairytales and happy ever afters. Well she got her happily ever after the day she walked down the aisle and married the man of her dreams and hopefully Ellie would just be as fortunate when she grew up and fell in love. That's if Paul even let her out the house to find anyone. He'd threatened to lock her in the attic from the second she turned thirteen. Apparently teenage boys were only after one thing and they weren't getting it from his daughter.

"I'll see ya Steph."

"See ya Shane." she smiled and opened the door. Stephanie immediately let out a surprised gasp as she became aware of the man standing on the other side and it took a second for her to compose herself and acknowledge him.

"Mark. I wasn't expecting you. Did you knock?"

"I just got here." he explained as he stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets shuffling his feet on the step.

Shane smiled at the two of them completely oblivious to the tense situation that existed between them. "Hey Mark. Listen Steph, I'm going to make tracks. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how we get on."

"Okay."

Stephanie lifted her hand in a wave and watched her brother walk to the car before nervously looking over at Mark. This was the first time she had seen or heard from him since Paul had visited him a couple of weeks ago and to say she felt a little uncomfortable was an understatement. Paul had said very little about their conversation other than Mark had got the message to leave her alone. Quite clearly he hadn't though. Clearing her throat, Stephanie leant against the wooden door frame and crossed her arms over her chest. "So what brings you here, Mark?" she asked.

"I just wondered if we could talk. I don't know." he sighed lifting his shoulder in a shrug. "I just wanted to try and clear the air a little bit I guess."

Stephanie nodded as she chewed on her lip thoughtfully. She knew she should really have no decision to make here. She should be telling him no, they couldn't talk. After all, she knew how Paul felt about the whole situation and he would be extremely upset if he knew she was even talking to Mark. But at the same time she felt terribly guilty. Mark had been through so much lately and she had just abandoned their friendship without an explanation from her and it was probably the least he deserved. They had been close once upon a time and she could give him a few minutes to talk. What harm could it do especially when Paul wasn't home? What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him surely. Besides she just didn't have the heart to turn the guy away. Her sympathy for him over rode everything else including the voice in her head that told her not to do this. Stephanie stepped aside and motioned for him to come in.

"Ellie honey, I'm just going to talk to Mark in the kitchen. Will you keep an eye on Jake?" she asked as they walked through the living room.

Ellie nodded and smiled at her brother who was still sitting beside her, totally enthralled with the movie. Stephanie let out a calming breath as she made her way into the kitchen and gestured for Mark to sit down at the table as she took the chair across from him. For some reason she felt somewhat anxious in his presence. It was probably the knowledge she was betraying Paul in some way by having Mark here in their home. But it would be the last time. After tonight, she was going to make sure he got the message to stay away loud and clear. Their friendship was over. It had to be for the sake of her marriage and her family. She had no other choice. They were her sole priority.

"So how are things?" she asked him softly, still feeling some empathy towards Mark for his current situation. She could see how badly it was affecting him. He had lost a considerable amount of weight and his usually handsome face was drawn and gaunt. Dark circles encompassed his eyes making him look tired and weary. It was clear he wasn't sleeping or eating for that matter.

"Okay I guess." Mark replied. "I'm getting by. Although we miss you. Chloe and I."

"Mark." Stephanie frowned.

"I'm sorry. And I guess that's why I've come here tonight. To tell how sorry I am. I never meant to cause any trouble between you and Paul."

Stephanie shook her head correcting him. "There's no trouble. Everything is fine between us. Really."

"Then I'm glad. I would hate to think I jeopardised things with that kiss. Paul did seem pretty upset about it."

She sighed and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, Stephanie sat back in the chair. Her blue eyes flashed with her irritation. "Can you blame him? Another man did kiss his wife." She paused for a second before looking directly at him and narrowing her brow. "Although I understand you tried to tell him differently."

Mark's face twisted with his confusion. "What do you mean, Stephie?"

"You told Paul that I kissed you. Why did you do that?"

Mark shook his head profusely. "Stephanie, I never said any such thing. All I did was apologise to Paul for kissing you and explained it was a mistake. That was when he told me to stay away from you and then he of course threatened me."

"Paul threatened you?" Stephanie asked, her eyes going wide.

Mark looked at her tentatively for a moment before he replied. "Actually he practically had me by the throat. I'm sorry. I thought you knew."

Stephanie slowly shook her head not sure how she felt about that. She had no clue what had transpired between Mark and her husband. While part of her refused to believe Paul would be violent to Mark in any way, the other part of her knew how angry her husband had been when he had left the house that day. In fact Paul had been absolutely furious and maybe that fury had clouded his judgement somewhat. He knew how she felt about him confronting Mark and it would explain why he had been incredibly sketchy about the details of their conversation. However he hadn't been sketchy about the kiss. Paul had gone into great detail about that part and told her how Mark had blamed her for the whole thing. It had made her angry by all accounts that Mark could twist the truth that way although according to him that wasn't the case at all. He hadn't said any such thing and that conversation had never taken place. But why would Paul lie to her? What the hell was going on?

"Well, I'm sure he had his reasons for not telling you." Mark said interrupting her thoughts.

Stephanie offered him a tight smile and nodded her head. She just wondered what those reasons were because Paul wasn't in the habit of keeping things from her. He was also the most honest guy she knew and she trusted his integrity. She trusted her husband and that's why she refused to doubt him for one more second despite what Mark was obviously telling her.

"Look, all I can say is that while I don't agree with Paul threatening you, he must have felt justified in his actions to do so. My husband isn't in the habit of lashing out at people without good cause."

Mark's face flushed with his anger as he pushed back his chair and stood up. "Look Stephanie, I only came here to find out what was going on between us. I've told you my side of the story and if you don't choose to believe me then fine. It's no skin off my nose. I've got enough on my plate at the moment."

Stephanie immediately felt guilty as she watched Mark turn around to walk out. He had been through a lot and this crap was the last thing he needed. What did it really matter who kissed who? At the end of the day the kiss was over and done with. Arguing over who had initiated it wasn't going to change anything. Besides, it meant nothing at the time and it meant even less now in the grand scheme of things. Standing up and stepping back from the table, Stephanie called out to Mark. "Wait. Please don't go."

She sighed and brushed her hair behind her ears as she approached him, her cautious smile hovering on her lips.

"Look, I'm sorry if you think I don't believe you. It's just that Paul has never lied to me before and I don't see why he would start now."

"Well I do."

Stephanie's mouth parted in surprise. "And what do you mean by that?"

Mark sighed as he rubbed his chin. "Look Stephanie, it doesn't take Einstein to figure out that the guy hates my guts."

He held up his hand as he saw Stephanie about to protest and silenced her.

"Please don't waste your time denying it. Your husband has hated me from the moment he laid eyes on me. For some reason, he sees me as a threat and he can't handle it. He's jealous, Steph. It's as simple as that."

Stephanie sighed heavily in frustration. "That's not true. He's got nothing to be jealous about. We're just friends."

"No Steph. We were friends until Paul decided otherwise." Mark stated shaking his head as he ran his fingers through his short, dark hair. "I bet he has some ridiculous notion that I'm after you for myself."

He smiled knowingly as Stephanie's gaze shifted to the floor.

"I'm right, aren't I? Paul thinks I want you."

Stephanie said nothing as she avoided his gaze.

"So because of his petty jealousy and insecurity, you're going to let him dictate who your friends are now."

She lifted her head and shook it vehemently. "No. Paul's not like that. He never has been."

"Well I'm sorry Steph but it sure as hell looks that way from where I'm standing."

Mark shuffled his feet against the tiled floor and sighed.

"Look, I need to get home. My mom is looking after Chloe for me and I promised I wouldn't be long. Just think about what I've said, Stephanie. If you need to talk, you know where I am."

Stephanie watched him leave staring at the door in confusion as it clicked shut behind him. She wasn't sure what the purpose of that conversation had been other than to leave her feeling stunned and somewhat bewildered about it. Mark had obviously been trying to ruffle her feathers and he had succeeded. But why do that? Why on earth would he try to cause tension between her and Paul? Unless Paul was right and Mark wanted more than friendship from her. They did have a history together and Mark had cared for her a lot so much so he had told her she had broken his heart when she had ended their relationship. But that was then. It had been almost twenty years since they had dated and any feelings Mark may or may not have had for her were long gone. Or at least she thought they were right up until the point where he had kissed her and of course there was the whole missing wife thing and the fact that apparently she looked alarmingly like her.

"Mommy, Daddy's on the phone."

Ellie's voice lifted her from her haze. Stephanie spun on her heel and made her way out into the living room and she couldn't help but smile at the grin on her daughter's face as she talked to Paul. When he was gone, Ellie lived for his phone calls and she had to admit she did too. Just hearing the sound of her husband's voice eased her longing for him for at least a little while.

"I love you too Daddy." Ellie said as her delicate finger lifted to scratch at her nose. "I'd let you talk to Jakey but he's fallen asleep on the floor. He was watching Bambi with me while Mommy talked to Mark."

Stephanie briefly closed her eyes and silently cursed under her breath. She had a funny feeling this telephone conversation was about to get incredibly difficult. Not that she had anything to hide. But if that was the case, why did she feel just that little bit guilty about letting Mark into their home in the first place.

"Here's Mommy. Bye Daddy."

Stephanie's eyes fluttered open just in time to see Ellie smile and hand the phone to her.

"It's Daddy."

"I know sweetheart." she smiled as she ruffled her hair. "Listen could you do Mommy a favour and run upstairs and fetch Jake's pyjamas for me?"

"Okay."

"Good girl."

Stephanie let out a slow breath as she placed the receiver to her ear. "Hey."

"Hey." Paul replied and he exhaled, his breath echoing heavily down the line. "So Mark's there, huh?"

"No. He just left actually." she told him.

"Well maybe you like to tell me what the fuck he was doing in our house?"

Stephanie sighed as she turned around and walked back into the kitchen hearing the familiar sound of Ellie's footsteps on the staircase as she ran up to the bedroom. "Look Paul, he came to apologise and then he left. End of story."

"I hope you told him to stick his apology up his ass."

"Not quite. See I didn't have time." she told him deciding if Paul could give her a hard time over this then the least she could do was return the favour. "Mark was too busy telling me the day you went to see him that you practically had him by throat."

"I did not."

"So what are you saying? Mark's lying to me?" Stephanie asked.

There was a beat before Paul's sigh crackled down the receiver.

"Well…..no. Not exactly." he replied.

"Then what is it Paul? What happened?" Stephanie asked as she pulled out the stool and sat at the counter.

"Look, I grabbed him by the shirt, okay? And I'll admit I was tempted to thump him one too until Jane walked in. But nothing happened, Steph. I didn't touch the guy I promise you."

"So why didn't you just tell me that when you came home that day?"

"Because."

"Because what?" Stephanie asked, prompting him and she couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face as she did so. Paul's response reminded her of their daughter and now she could see where Ellie got it from.

"Because I wasn't exactly proud of myself, okay?" Paul told her and Stephanie's blue eyes sparkled with her sympathy for her husband.

"I know what the guys been through lately and I shouldn't have lashed out at him. But he made me so angry Steph and the way he was talking trash about you? I wanted to punch his lights out. He practically told me you were begging for it that night and that it was all my fault because you were lonely and I was away so much. I guess him saying that hit a nerve. I mean fuck. I feel guilty enough leaving you guys without someone else throwing it back in my face."

Stephanie rolled her lips together as everything started to fall into place. Paul had threatened Mark because Mark had provoked him and she could understand why. If anyone so much as said a bad word against Paul she was seething. It was a natural instinct to defend the person you love especially when that person was your world. Then of course there was the way Mark had taunted him about his absence. No one felt more guilty than Paul did every single time he walked out the door leaving his wife and his children behind. She suddenly felt terribly guilty too for even listening to Mark or questioning her husband's motives. She knew Paul and he had never given her any reason to doubt him before. Mark's crap about jealousy was just that. Crap.

"Look Paul, I'm sorry." she told him. "I should never have listened to him. The next time Mark shows up, I'll put him straight."

"Next time? How about next time he calls you tell him he'd better have health insurance."

"Paul." Stephanie warned hearing the menacing tone in her husband's voice.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Can we just change the subject?"

"Gladly." she gratefully smiled. "So, have you talked to Daddy yet?"

"Maybe."

"Paul!" Stephanie whined at his teasing.

"What?" he chuckled.

"Dad. Have you talked to him?" she asked eagerly.

"I have and he actually agreed I should be spending more time at home. We decided I can cut down on house shows and appearances. I just have to wait a month or so until they can come up with a storyline where I drop the title."

"And are you okay with that? Losing the title I mean." Stephanie asked him knowing there was no-one who carried the belt as proudly as Paul did. Being the champion meant everything to him because it meant he was the best. And he was the best in her eyes and practically everyone else's in the company. Somehow it felt unfair to take that away from him despite knowing that compared to his family, the title was practically insignificant.

"I am. Steph, you guys are more important than any belt and you all mean the world to me."

Stephanie grinned. "Well, we happen to be pretty fond of you too Levesque."

"Good. Listen babe, I gotta go. We're heading to the arena. Take care and I'll call you after the show."

"You'd better. I love you."

"I love you too Steph. And now I've really gotta go because Shawn is threatening to leave without me. I'll talk to you tonight."

"Okay. Bye." Stephanie smiled as she heard the click of the phone at the other end and she let out a contented sigh knowing the call had gone way better than expected. Paul had explained everything and in turn put her straight about Mark. She actually couldn't believe the audacity of the guy to come over here in the first place. He had to be seriously deluded to even think she would believe his lies over her own husband.

Pushing back her stool, Stephanie firmly made up her mind. She needed to stay away from Mark. That much was obvious just like it was obvious he was out to cause trouble. God knows his reasons why but whatever they were, she was better off staying away from him. The last thing she wanted or needed was Mark causing problems between her and Paul. God knows Mark had caused enough arguments lately to last her a lifetime. The next time she saw him, she was going to put him straight and hopefully he'd get the message this time. He needed to stay away from her and her family. He had to and in the meantime she would just try to ignore that part of her that had sympathy for his situation and for Mark. It was horrible what he had been through but he just wasn't her problem any more. She refused to feel guilty about it.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Paul rolled over and groaned as the noise in the adjoining bathroom woke him up. He slowly opened his eyes and winced as he heard yet another thud off the tiled floor. Throwing back the covers, he got out of bed to investigate, shivering slightly at the breeze which blew through the open window. He literally froze in the doorway as he surveyed the damage in front of him. "You have got to be kidding me." he muttered.

Paul shook his head in disbelief at the mess on the bathroom floor. There were bottles of shower gel, bubble bath and shampoo scattered across the room not to mention an array of cotton buds. The icing on the cake was the talcum powder which looked like it had exploded on impact. As he glanced over towards the bath tub, he spotted the culprit sitting on the floor chewing on a sponge. His navy pyjamas were white where he'd crawled through the talc. Despite the mess he had caused, Paul couldn't help but smile as he walked across to his son.

"Jacob Paul Levesque, what have you done?"

Jake turned round at the sound of his father's voice and grinned, scrunching up his nose as he did so. Paul chuckled at his funny expression as he crouched down beside him and ruffled his brown hair.

"You're quite the little character, aren't you?"

He removed the sponge from his hand and lifted him up as he got back to his feet. Paul kissed his cheek.

"Mind you, you're not so little anymore."

He wore an almost sad expression as his finger grazed Jake's cheek lightly.

"I can't believe my baby boy is one year old already."

Jake's chubby fingers clutched the strands of his father's hair as he garbled some nonsense before finishing his sentence with a word that definitely sounded like bad. Paul grinned as he disentangled himself from his son's grasp.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did Daddy forget to say happy birthday?"

He threw Jake up in the air causing him to burst into giggles.

"Happy Birthday Jake!"

Just then Paul heard a gasp behind him and he turned round to see his daughter standing in the doorway. She shook her head at her brother before talking to him in a sing-song voice.

"Jakey, you're in trouble."

Jake shrieked at the top of his voice flapping his arms around wildly. Paul grinned across at his daughter.

"No threatening your brother on his birthday. He doesn't like it."

Ellie giggled as she tiptoed through the mess on the floor to stand beside her father. "What will Mommy say?"

"Nothing if we get this cleaned up before she finds out." Paul bent down and placed Jake back on the floor before turning to smile at Ellie. "So, Miss Ellie, will you help me?"

Ellie nodded her head, her curls bouncing up and down. She bent down picking up a bottle of bubble bath that lay at her bare feet. "Mommy already shouted at Jake this morning."

Paul looked up from where he was collecting the cotton buds. "Why? What did he do?"

"He got into the cupboard where Mommy keeps the cereal. He emptied Cocoa Bears all over the floor."

Paul burst out laughing as he replaced the buds back in their plastic container.

"I'm glad you find it so amusing."

He glanced up to see his wife leaning against the doorway as she held Jake in her arms. Although she wore a stern expression on her face, he could see the twinkle in her eye.

"At least I can see now why my son is crawling around covered in talcum powder."

Ellie held up the bottle in her hand proudly. "I'm helping tidy up Mommy. Daddy wanted it clean so you wouldn't find out."

"Thank you, sweetie." Stephanie looked over to smirk at her husband. "Out of the mouth of babes, huh Levesque?"

Paul scowled as he replaced the container back in the cabinet. "Ellie, remind me to teach you about loyalty."

Ellie scrunched up her face in confusion. "What's loyalty, Daddy?"

Stephanie interrupted. "Never mind, honey. Come on, let's get you dressed." She walked across and handed Jake to Paul. "Here, he's all yours."

Paul frowned. "But I'm cleaning up in here."

"You can finish that while Jake is playing in the tub." She reached up and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Ellie and I have some shopping to do for Jake's party this afternoon. Unless, of course, you want to come with us?"

She laughed as Paul made a face and vehemently shook his head. She knew how much he hated shopping of any kind.

"That's what I thought."

She waved her hand in farewell as she picked up Ellie and left the room.

Paul watched her leave before turning and smiling at his son.

"It looks like it's just you and me, little man."

Jake grinned before resting his head against Paul's shoulder causing him to smile. He'd get to spend the morning alone with his son and that suited him just fine.

* * *

"Hello, is there anybody home?"

Patricia popped her head round the door and frowned. She picked up an envelope that lay on the floor as she walked into the living room. Her frown soon turned to a smile as she surveyed the scene in front of her. Paul was sprawled out on the sofa with Jake lying across his chest. Both of them were fast asleep despite the television blaring loudly. She switched it off and seeing her husband walk through with their bags, she motioned for him to be quiet.

"They're sleeping." she whispered.

"Well, what will I do with these?" He lifted up the bags that he held in his hand and

Patricia scowled at him. "I don't know. Just leave them at the bottom of the stairs or something." She shook her head in disdain.

"Ma, stop nagging him."

Patricia jumped at the sound of her son's voice. She looked round to see Paul smiling as he carefully sat up, trying his best not to wake up a still sleeping Jake. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I was until your scolding tone woke me up." He yawned before smiling at his father as he walked back through. "Hey, Dad."

"Hiya son." He bent down and rubbed Jake's back affectionately.

"So where are Stephanie and Ellie?"

Paul made a face at his mother. "Shopping." He glanced over at the clock on the video recorder. "Although they should be back shortly. They left over three hours ago."

Paul Snr looked round the room admiring the balloons, banners and streamers. "Someone's been busy."

Paul smiled. "Yeah. Steph and I decorated the place once the kids went to bed last night." He shifted his body forward and stood up from the sofa. "I'll just lay Jake down in his room. I'll be back in a second."

Patricia nodded before remembering the envelope in her hand. She held it out to Paul. "Here. I found this at the door when I came in."

Paul smiled as he took it and adjusting Jake in his arms, he carried him up the stairs.

Jake was still fast asleep as Paul lay him down in his cot. He leant over and caressed his face with his hand. "You get all the rest you can, little man. You'll need it. You've got a busy afternoon ahead of you. Not to mention the fact you'll not only have Grandma Patricia cooing over you but Grandma Linda too."

He chuckled to himself as he pulled the covers over his son and glanced down at the envelope in his hand and frowned. It was addressed to him in an unfamiliar scrawl and had obviously been hand delivered. He was about to open it when he heard the car pull up in the drive. He walked across to the bay window and shook his head in amusement as Stephanie began to haul out several large bags. He left the room to help her, closing the door gently behind him. He folded the envelope and placed it in the back pocket of his jeans without giving it another thought.

* * *

Paul watched Declan out of the corner of his eye. The young boy had only been here half an hour but he'd already caused an uproar. He had broken one of Ellie's favourite dolls by ripping off her head. Of course, Ellie had forgiven him once she had calmed down. No-one else got a look in when her favourite cousin was around.

"It's a pity your sister couldn't make it."

Paul turned round and smiled at Shane. "Yeah but both she and the kids are laid up with the flu. By the sounds of things, they've gotten it pretty bad too." He took a sip of his beer before reaching across to pat Shane on the back. "So I hear you're getting a daughter this time round. Congratulations, man."

Shane grinned. "Thanks." He watched his son play with Ellie. "Let's just hope this one is better behaved than Declan."

Paul shook his head. "He's just a little hyper that's all." Shane made a face and Paul snorted with laughter. "Okay, maybe he is a monster at times. But I have a feeling he's not going to be the only one."

"You mean Jake?"

Paul nodded his head. "He's into everything. This morning he decided to demolish the bathroom and that was after he had poured a whole box of cereal over the kitchen floor. Steph blames me of course. Apparently I'm a soft touch when it comes to the kids. When I'm around they think they can do whatever they like."

"And is that true?"

Paul grinned at him. "Oh yeah."

Just then Paul felt a tug at his trouser leg and he looked down to see Jake holding up his arms. He grinned and bent down to pick him up. "Here's the birthday boy."

Shane reached across and ruffled Jake's hair. "Hey little guy. You're getting big, huh?"

Patricia appeared beside him. "There he is." She held out her hands towards him. "Are you coming to see your Grandma, Jake?"

Jake made a face before burying his head in Paul's shoulder. Paul chuckled as he rubbed his back affectionately.

"Grandma is pretty scary, isn't she?"

Patricia smacked Paul on the arm playfully. "That's enough from you, young man. Hand my grandson over."

Paul held on to him tightly. "No. Jake said he doesn't want to go to someone who abuses his father."

Shane laughed and shook his head. "I have a feeling that if you don't hand him over, the abuse could get much worse. I should know. I have a mother who is exactly the same."

Patricia laughed. "It's only because we love our grandchildren. Speaking of which, I hear Linda has another one on the way. Congratulations."

Shane beamed at her. "Thank you."

"Marissa looks really well too."

Shane nodded his head. "She's feeling great now she's gotten past the morning sickness."

"Well she looks it." She turned to Paul and smiled. "So what are the chances of me becoming a grandmother again?"

Paul grinned. "I don't know. Why don't you ask Lynn?"

Patricia smiled. "I would be wasting my time because I know for a fact she doesn't want another child."

Paul shrugged his shoulders. "Well, maybe I don't either."

His mother wore a know-it-all look in her eye. "Well, if that's the case, you'd better tell that to Stephanie. I can see by the way she's looking wistfully at Marissa that she doesn't feel entirely the same way."

Paul said nothing as he looked in his wife's direction. She was laughing with Linda about something and was looking far from wistful to him. "Stop trying to wind me up, mother."

"I'm not. I know what I saw, Paul."

Shane touched Paul on the shoulder to get his attention. "She did tell me she wanted more kids."

Paul frowned. "When?"

"The day I went with her to Ellie's class. I'm not entirely sure how we got on the subject but she did mention wanting at least one more."

Paul bit down on his lip thoughtfully as he rocked Jake in his arms.

Shane grinned at Patricia. "I think we've spooked him."

Paul couldn't help but smile as he kissed Jake's hair affectionately. He failed to notice Stephanie who had just appeared beside them.

"Hand the baby over to your mother, Paul. I need you in the kitchen."

Paul frowned as he reluctantly held Jake out to Patricia. "I want him back, you know."

He saw his mother grin at him as Stephanie led him by the hand to the kitchen.

"Will you get the candles from the drawer and put them on the birthday cake?"

Paul nodded his head distractedly. She reached into the fridge and pulled out the bottle of champagne.

"Marissa looks great, doesn't she?"

Paul raised his head slowly. "Yeah, she does."

"It will be really exciting to have another baby around, don't you think?"

"Yeah but we've still got Jake."

Stephanie leant against the counter across from him. "Yeah, but he's not going to be a baby for much longer. Our little boy is growing up."

Paul said nothing as he took the teddy bear birthday cake out of the packaging. He definitely detected a wistful tone to her voice but he didn't know if he was perhaps reading too much into it. After all, he was feeling pretty sad himself at the thought of Jake getting older. That didn't necessarily mean he was ready to have another child though. Damn his mother for putting ideas in his head.

Stephanie watched as Paul stood still just staring at the cake. She frowned and walked across, wrapping her arms around his waist. She rested her head against his back. "What are you thinking about?"

Paul slid his hands over hers. "Nothing really. It was just what you said about Jake growing up."

Stephanie released him and stepped back. She touched his shoulder and he turned round to face her, pulling her into his arms. Stephanie let out a sigh as she nuzzled into his chest. She wasn't sure whether to broach the subject or not but it was definitely something that had been on her mind ever since her discussion with Shane. And after talking to Marissa today and seeing the tiny baby on the scan picture, she was definitely having serious thoughts about having another child. She just wasn't sure how Paul felt. They hadn't really discussed having any more children since Jake was born. But she decided it might be better to find out. After all, there was no point in pinning her hopes on another child when Paul was happy with the family he had. She lifted her head and smiled as she looked into his deep brown eyes.

"Paul, do you think we'll have another baby?"

Paul saw the hopeful look in her eyes and realised his mother had been telling him the truth. Stephanie did want another child. The question was did he? He honestly hadn't thought about it until now. It hadn't been deliberate. He just figured the discussion wouldn't come up so soon. After all, there was four years between Jake and Ellie. But as Paul saw that hopeful spark in his wife's eyes begin to fade, he realised he'd better find an answer. Although, to be honest, he knew the question was a no-brainer anyway. He smiled at her reassuringly as he tightened his hold around her waist. "Well, I do remember a certain conversation we had where you told me you wanted at least five kids."

Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise. "We were only dating at that time. You remember that?"

Paul brushed her hair from her forehead. "I remember everything. Every date, every word and every kiss." He lowered his head and kissed her softly.

Stephanie smiled as they broke apart. "So, you must remember your answer then."

"Of course. I told you that we'd have as many kids as you wanted."

Stephanie lifted her hand and played with the collar of his shirt. "But you know I'm not holding you to that, right? I mean that was almost seven years ago. A lot has changed since then."

"The only thing that's changed about us is the fact that we're married and have two amazing kids. But my feelings about you and our future haven't changed. If anything they've only gotten stronger."

Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked into her husband's eyes. She couldn't doubt the love and devotion that was there. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and her fingers played with his soft hair. ""So does that mean we're going to try for number three?"

Paul smiled. "I guess so but only if you're sure that's what you want."

Stephanie grinned as she nodded her head. "It is. The only doubt I would have had was maybe coping with three young children but with you being home a lot more, it's not really going to be an issue, is it?"

Paul shook his head. "No. I guess not." A slow grin crept across his face and he winked at her. "I think we should start trying straight away. What do you say to right now?"

Stephanie burst out laughing and was about to reply when Ellie ran through the door.

"Daddy, you need to come quick. Jake needs his diaper changed and Grandma Patricia says you've to do it." She scrunched up her pretty little nose. "He really stinks."

Paul shook his head as he released his wife. "One minute the woman is fighting to get him off me. The next she can't get rid of him quick enough."

Stephanie chuckled as Paul took Ellie's hand and followed her into the living room. She was just about to place the candle on the cake when there was a knock at the back door. She placed down the box in her hand and went to answer it. She quickly stepped outside and closed the door behind her as she saw Mark standing on the path.

"Mark. What are you doing here?"

He smiled and held out an envelope. "I know its Jake's birthday today so I thought I'd bring over a birthday card." He shrugged. "I came to the back door. I didn't want to cause any trouble."

Stephanie smiled tentatively. "Well thanks for bringing this over. It's very kind of you."

"No problem."

There was an awkward pause as Mark lingered on the path, his hands in his pockets.

"So how is Chloe?"

Mark nodded. "She's good now she's getting over that cold. She's with my mom over at the house. She's been really great you know. Mom, I mean. She's really helped me the past week or so."

Stephanie reached out and touched his arm. "I'm glad."

Mark smiled. "Listen Steph, I just want to say thanks for everything you've done for me. I might not have shown it but I really appreciate it."

Stephanie sighed as she nodded in acknowledgement. She didn't know why but Mark always had the uncanny knack of making her feel sorry for him. She also felt guilty at abandoning him and their friendship but at the end of the day she had no other choice. She had to keep her distance from him for his sake as well as her family. She shifted her feet awkwardly and gestured towards the door. "I guess I'd better head back in."

Mark nodded his head. "Maybe I'll see you around some time?"

Stephanie smiled. "Sure. Goodbye Mark."

She opened the door and let out a shaky breath as she placed the card down on the counter. That was a close call. A few seconds earlier and Paul would have still been here and no doubt have blown a gasket when he saw Mark was at the door.

She glanced up as she heard the kitchen door swing open and smiled as her mother walked through.

"Paul mentioned you might need a hand in here."

Stephanie smiled at her gratefully. "Sure. Can you grab the tray with the glasses and I'll bring through the birthday cake?"

Linda nodded and picked up the tray, following her daughter through to the living room.

"Yay! Birthday cake! Mommy, can I help Jake blow out the candle?"

Stephanie smiled at her daughter who was jumping up and down. "Sure, sweetie. Where is your brother anyway?"

"He's right here." Paul smiled at Ellie as he appeared with Jake in his arms. "One little monster clean and ready for birthday cake."

Linda held out her arms and Paul handed him to her. "Hello sweetie. Are you going to get birthday cake?" Jake grinned as they walked off towards the sofas where everyone was gathered.

"Daddy, I get to help Jake blow out his candle."

Paul grinned as he swept her up in his arms. "Oh, you do, do you? And what about me? Don't I get to blow it out?"

"No. I do. You got to blow out lots of candles when it was your birthday."

Stephanie grinned. "That's right, Ellie. There were lots and lots of candles, weren't there?"

Paul stuck out his tongue at his wife. Ellie quickly clamped her hand over his mouth.

"You can't do that Daddy. It's rude!"

Stephanie laughed at her daughter. "Paul, I forgot the champagne. Will you go and get it?"

Paul nodded and carried Ellie with him through to the kitchen.

"Am I allowed the shanpane?"

Paul chuckled. "You mean the champagne?"

Ellie nodded.

"No. You have to be a grown up to drink that stuff."

Ellie pouted. "Well what will I have with my cake?"

Paul set her down on the counter and kissed the top of her head. "Orange juice."

Ellie scowled. "But I don't want orange juice."

"You don't? But Aunt Marissa is having orange juice. She'd like it if you had it to."

Ellie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess."

"Good."

Ellie kicked her legs back and forward as she watched her father pick up the bottle which was beside the fridge. As she looked down, she spotted the envelope addressed to Jake. She held it out towards Paul. "Daddy, who is this card from?"

Paul frowned as he took the card from her hand. "I don't know toots but I'm sure I've seen the writing before."

"Can we open it and see who it's from?"

"Sure but let's get some cake first. We can open the card later." He threw the card down on the counter and lifted Ellie up carrying her and the champagne back through to the living room.


	24. Chapter 24

I know I probably don't say it enough but thank you so much for all your lovely reviews for this story and the rest. It's what encourages me to keep going and keep dusting those cobwebs away. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Prepare yourselves for a bumpy ride lol.

* * *

Chapter 24

"Sweet dreams little man."

Paul brushed back the soft dark hair from the sleeping infant's forehead and bending over the cot, he dropped a kiss on Jake's chubby cheek before quietly leaving the room. His son was out for the count and it was little wonder after the busy day he'd had. The ongoing adventure of presents and cake had completely worn him out and then of course there was the never ending attention from the cooing doting grandparents.

"Hey Daddy."

Ellie's voice got Paul's attention as the nursery door closed over behind him staying open just a crack and he turned his head to smile at her as she bounded towards him in her pyjamas.

"Is Jakey asleep now?" she asked.

Paul nodded his head. "Are you nearly ready for bed?" he asked.

Her curls bounced as Ellie nodded her head. "Grandpa Paul said I was to come and ask you if I can stay up and watch Cinderella with him and Grandma. Can I, Daddy? Please!"

Her big brown eyes stared up at him hopefully and Paul laughed as he ruffled her hair affectionately. "I guess so but only for a little while. You've got school tomorrow remember?"

"Okay." his daughter grinned.

She turned around and raced back down the stairs with Paul following close behind her. He smiled as he got to the living room to see Ellie already wedged between her grandparents on the sofa. Patricia looked up and smiled at her son.

"Is that Jake in bed?"

"Yeah. He's out like a light." he said lightly scratching his head as his eyes scoured the room. "Where's Steph?"

"On the phone to Linda I think."

Paul rolled his eyes dryly as he made his way through to the kitchen to get a drink of water. Her mother had only left an hour ago and they were on the phone already. What the hell did they find to talk about anyways especially when they talked every day sometimes even two or three times and that didn't count the times Linda actually came to visit. It seemed all conversation between a mother and her daughter was totally limitless.

However, all thoughts of Stephanie and Linda soon left Paul's head as soon as he pushed open the door and the sound of a cell phone ringing echoed around the spacious kitchen. Flicking on the light he made his way to the counter and noticed it was Stephanie's phone sitting there. It was intermittently spinning around the marble as it vibrated and Paul picked it up in his big hand just as it threatened to topple over the edge and fall to the floor.

"Nice save." he said, congratulating himself as his lips curved into a small smile.

But that smile quickly downturned into a frown as he noticed the name scrolling across the lit up screen in front of him. Mark W. There was only one Mark W he knew of and it was that bastard neighbour from across the street. But why was he calling Stephanie? Why was he speaking to his wife when he'd told him in no uncertain terms to stay the fuck away!

Paul's thick finger lifted and hovered over the green button as he silently deliberated whether or not to answer the call. He wasn't in the habit of being his wife's personal secretary but the fact Mark was calling her was bugging him. In fact it was bugging him to the point that it was actually pissing him off. To think that the creep would actually have the audacity to call Stephanie after everything that had gone down between them and of course it wasn't the first time he'd tried to contact her. Christ, he'd even come to the house too and conveniently at a time when he hadn't been here. And that was the one time he'd found out about. How many more times had there been because it was quite clear to him that Mark was more than adamant to keep in contact with his wife. Well over his dead fucking body! He didn't want his wife anywhere near a guy like that especially when that same guy had kissed Stephanie and not only that, he'd only married a woman that looked the spitting image of her. And the more he thought about that, the more it creeped him out especially given their past history together. It was of course a history he had known nothing about until Mark had told him and a history that Stephanie still hadn't mentioned to him for whatever reason. Still it was a reason he could admit had been niggling at him because there were no secrets between them in their marriage or at least there hadn't been. And sure it was no big deal she hadn't mentioned every single guy she had dated in the past. It's not like he had told Stephanie every date he'd been on in high school but the difference was that date hadn't recently moved in right across the street from them. Surely it would have cropped up in conversation for the ironic factor alone.

Lightly shaking his head, Paul decided to take the call. However his decision came a second too late as the phone went silent. Tossing it back down on the counter in frustration, Paul pushed his big hand through his hair. That's when his brown eyes settled on the unopened card still lying there. He picked it up and chewed the corner of his lip wondering where he'd seen that handwriting before. It definitely looked familiar to him and it was bugging him why. Paul's finger ripped through the envelope and he took out the birthday card. He smiled at the picture on the front but as soon as he opened it, his smile turned into a scowl as he read the scrawled words at the bottom.

"Lots of love and kisses from Mark and Chloe."

Paul's nose crinkled with his frown. When the hell had Mark been here to deliver a card? He hadn't seen him here and he'd been in the house all day but that wasn't the only thing bothering him. He wondered where he had seen that jerk's writing before.

Suddenly it hit him and Paul reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the envelope that had been there since this morning. His brow furrowed with his confusion. Why the hell would Mark be sending a letter to him?

Paul couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut as he opened the envelope, the tearing of the paper echoing loudly in the silent kitchen. His hand reached in and retrieved a note. As he opened it, something fluttered to the ground and Paul absently gazed down at the floor, bending down as he scanned the slanted scribble in front of him.

"_Maybe now you'll believe me when I tell you Stephie and I are more than just friends."_

Paul's mouth curled into a snarl as he lifted the items from the floor. There were two photographs and the top one got his attention, the photograph that had landed face up. It was Stephanie but she was much younger and she was standing beside a guy that was obviously Mark. They were both dressed for some kind of formal dance or something. Probably homecoming or prom or some other lame school get together.

But why the hell did Mark send him this? Was he looking to get some reaction out of him? Well if that was the case, he could screw off. It didn't matter to him who Stephanie had dated in high school or otherwise.

But as Paul tossed the photos and the note to the counter, the corner of the second picture briefly caught his eye. It was Stephanie again but this time she was older. This photograph looked recent.

His curiosity piqued, Paul's big hand lifted the photo once more. Stephanie was standing next to Mark in this one too and her fingers were laced through his as his arm lay draped across her shoulder. She was smiling, her head slightly turned towards him. And Paul knew this was a recent picture. It had to be because Stephanie was wearing the sapphire pendant he'd given her just this Christmas. But that wasn't the only thing that was bothering him. His wife had this look on her face. A look he'd seen countless times over the years and a look he thought had been reserved for only him. A look that was soft and filled with love and for some reason that unnerved him more than anything because Stephanie shouldn't be looking at anyone else that way. Not the guy she had dated in the past and certainly not the same guy who had recently made a pass at her.

But as Paul continued to stare at the picture, he couldn't help but wonder if that part was actually true. Had Mark made a pass at his wife or had Stephanie kissed him first? Mark had been adamant that was the case just like he had been adamant sending these fucking photos and wanting him to believe there was more than friendship going on here. Why would he do that unless he had something to prove? And he had to be honest. From what he could see right in front of him, there was a tiny part inside of him that couldn't help but wonder if Mark was right. Did Stephanie care for someone else? A guy who was constantly in their lives and a guy it seemed she couldn't stay away from despite her promises to him. His heart screamed no. His head was another matter.

"So this is where you're hiding."

Paul froze as he heard Stephanie's voice behind him. His body tensed as he felt her hand touch his shoulder. He hadn't even heard her come into the room and he could feel his heart beat just that little bit faster at the simple act of being around her. It always did and had done since the moment almost ten years ago when he had realised he was falling for her.

"I hope you're not trying to steal that last piece of birthday cake Mr Levesque."

"Nope." he replied ignoring her playful tone and refusing to look in her direction as he stood at the counter trying his best to keep calm because there had to be a logical explanation for all of this. An explanation that would make some sense of this and an explanation that didn't have the potential to completely kill him. Because honestly the thought of Stephanie even touching another guy made his stomach twist into tiny knots and he felt sick.

"Because you know you promised Ellie she could have it."

"Yeah well promises don't seem to count for much around here." he shot back.

The words were out of his mouth before Paul even realised what he was saying. But it was the truth. Apparently promises didn't mean much lately especially coming from his wife. Raking his hands through his hair, Paul let out a heavy sigh.

"Why? What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You tell me." he said letting out a calming breath as he finally turned to face Stephanie. Her blue eyes were watching him carefully and he could see the confusion etched on her beautiful face. The same beautiful face that was smiling in that fucking photograph! The photograph he wanted to confront her about but at the same time, a large part of him was scared to. What if he didn't like the answer she gave him because honestly, the possibility of this ever happening to them had never even entered his head before now. He had trusted Stephanie implicitly and the very idea that he would never be enough for her had never crossed his mind. And he hadn't been arrogant in thinking that way. He had just had faith that the love they had was strong enough to last forever because not only was Stephanie his lover she was also his best friend and confidante; his soul mate.

"Paul, you're making no sense. What is this about?" Stephanie asked, clearly losing her patience.

His words stuck in his throat. Instead he handed her the photograph he still held in his hand and feeling his fingers lightly tremble as he watched her, he clenched them together tightly. He refused to fall apart even though the mere thought of her being anywhere near Mark completely wrecked him. It was bad enough knowing another guy's lips had touched hers. It was even worse imagining those same lips had wanted to kiss that guy back and then of course was the knowledge that she had deliberately kept the kiss a secret from him. What else was his wife not telling him?

"I don't understand. I don't remember this." Stephanie said, her brow furrowed deeply as she pored over the picture, shaking her head.

"How very fucking convenient." Paul snorted and as Stephanie snapped her head up to look at him, he could see the angry flash in her ocean blue pools. It was the same anger that was beginning to take over all the other emotions swimming around inside him; emotions that made him feel scared and a little sick inside. His whole world had the potential to come crashing down around him right now and if it did, he wasn't so sure he would survive it.

"What the hell do you mean? What are you trying to imply here, Paul?" asked Stephanie.

"I don't have to imply anything." he told her lifting his left shoulder in a shrug before he crossed his massive arms across his chest. It rose and fell with his heavy breathing as he tried his best to keep his temper in check. "After all the proof is right here in front of me." he said gesturing the photograph in her hand.

Stephanie let out a cry of frustration as she threw the photo back to the counter before lifting her hands into the air. "Oh, here we go again! How many times do I have to tell you, Paul? There's nothing going on between me and Mark. We're just friends."

"Friends, huh?" Paul spat back as the blood beat in his ears knowing differently and he could feel his heart race nervously in his chest. "And that's all you've ever been, Steph? Friends?" he asked her.

"Of course." Stephanie replied and Paul sneered at her as he grabbed the other picture from the counter and thrust it in her direction.

"Funny. Mark seems to remember things a little differently."

Her blue eyes went wide with her surprise as she recognised the picture in her hand. It had been the homecoming dance. Her mom had taken the shot when Mark had picked her up from the house that evening but up until now she had forgotten it had even existed. "He sent you that? Why?" Stephanie asked in a daze as she looked at her husband.

"Apparently he thought I needed proof that the two of you were high school sweethearts once upon a time."

Her stomach dropped as she realised he knew the truth. A truth she should have shared with him the second Mark had introduced himself to them. "Paul..." she began to explain but he never gave her the chance as he lifted his big hand silencing her.

"Cause see the thing is my wife failed to mention that part to me. You know the part where you tell me Mark wasn't just an old friend. Matter of fact he's an old boyfriend."

His deep brown eyes stared at her and Stephanie swallowed thickly seeing the anger that lingered there and a pain too; the pain that she had caused by her inability to be completely straight with him and she could understand why he was hurt by that because she'd never been in the habit of keeping Paul in the dark before. There were no secrets between them and there never had been ever since the first moment they had gotten together. Maybe even before that when their work related late night telephone conversations had turned into something else entirely. Something that had made her realise Paul was way more than a friend.

"Look, I didn't think it was important." she told him knowing that was pretty much true because who Mark was to her all those years ago made no difference. It didn't change anything between them. They were simply friends, nothing more and they never would be.

"Not important, huh?" said Paul closing the short distance between them and he lightly shook his head in obvious dismay. "Well I think it's damn important especially after everything that's been going on lately."

"But that's not my doing. It's not my fault."

"Maybe not but that doesn't stop the guy calling you on your cell phone or coming to my house when I'm not around. And even when I am around, he's personally delivering birthday cards for my son."

Stephanie slowly shook her head. "He was just being polite, Paul."

Paul lightly snorted with his disgust. "What? Like he was being polite when he shoved his tongue down your throat?"

"Not that again." sighed Stephanie in frustration.

"Yes that again."

"Look I told you it meant nothing." she told him softly as she reached for Paul's arm but he moved away, flinching from her.

"And I told you to stay away from Mark but you didn't listen to me now did you?" stated Paul as he stepped back and pushed his big hand through his hair. "In fact it seems to me you want to do the exact opposite and why is that, Stephanie? Why are you putting this guy before us, before our marriage?"

"I'm not!" Stephanie cried as her big blue eyes pleaded with her husband. "Look, nothing is going on with Mark. Trust me. Please."

But her plea seemed to fall on deaf ears as Paul's big hand gestured to the scattered photographs on the counter. "Look at your face. The camera doesn't lie, Steph."

"What? And I do?" Stephanie asked in disbelief. "Paul. I'm your wife. You have to believe me. You have to trust me."

Paul pressed his lips together and dropped his head, refusing to look at her and Stephanie felt an icy chill creep along her spine as the truth slowly began to dawn on her.

"You do trust me don't you?" she asked desperately.

But Paul remained silent and Stephanie's bottom lip trembled as her sad blue eyes looked at her husband and she swore she could feel her heart breaking in her chest as she voiced out loud the fear that now gripped her entire body. "Paul, if we don't have trust in each other, then this marriage is in trouble. You know that don't you?"

"Yeah. I know." he told her so softly she could barely hear him and Stephanie could only watch as Paul pushed past her grabbing his keys from the counter and walking out the back door.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Stephanie sat alone at the kitchen table with a heavy heart and her head in her hands. Her fingers lightly clutched her soft brown strands as the tears streamed down her face and she was unable to stop them. Paul was gone and she couldn't stop the sickening feeling that he might not come back and all because of that picture. A fucking photograph she couldn't even remember being taken not to mention a past with Mark she had stupidly decided to keep from her husband. Talk about a decision that had well and truly bit her on the ass. Now she was regretting it tenfold. Then there had been that damn kiss. It was hard to believe it had all gone so horribly wrong between her and Paul. Only this afternoon, they had agreed to try for another baby. They had both been so happy and everything had seemed perfect. But a few hours later that had all changed and her marriage now looked to be in serious trouble.

Stephanie sniffed back her tears as they continued to fall. She had been crying for over an hour now and her heart honestly felt like it was breaking in two. The thought of Paul leaving terrified her and she knew she couldn't exist without him. She would fall to pieces not to mention the effect it would have on Ellie and Jake. Paul was the glue that held their family together. It just wouldn't function properly without him. She had to believe that they could work things out. She had to find some way to convince him that she was telling the truth. There was nothing going on between her and Mark. There never was and there never would be. Paul was all she needed and all she would ever want. He was her life, her love, her everything.

Just then the kitchen door opened, startling her. Stephanie lifted her head and quickly tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks. But it was pointless. Patricia had already noticed her red puffy eyes and knew straight away that her daughter-in-law was upset. She also couldn't help but notice there was no sign of her son. She slowly approached the table where Stephanie still sat and offered her a small smile.

"Ellie fell asleep during the movie. Her grandfather has taken her upstairs."

Stephanie could only nod. She didn't trust herself to speak just yet. Not when she could feel a fresh onslaught of tears burning her eyes.

Patricia took the seat next to her and covered her hand with her own as it rested on the wooden surface. She squeezed it lightly. "I can see you're upset about something. Do you want to talk about it?"

Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat. Her bottom lip quivered as she shrugged her shoulders. "I-I don't know if I c-can." she stammered as she bit down on her lip unable to stop the tears which now rolled down her face once more.

"Oh Stephanie!" Patricia cried as she reached out and immediately pulled her into a hug. She felt Stephanie's body shake as she began to sob heavily. Something was obviously terribly wrong and she couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling in her stomach that it somehow involved Paul. It would certainly explain his absence. But she couldn't fathom what could have happened and in such a short space of time. Everything had been fine a couple of hours ago. She'd even caught the pair of them fooling around with one another in the hallway. But something had happened since then and whatever it was, it was causing Stephanie a lot of distress. The poor girl was crying her heart out. Patricia rubbed her back soothingly and held her tightly until eventually she heard her sobbing subside. And when Stephanie raised her head from her shoulder, she offered her daughter in law a sympathetic smile. Her face was red and stained with her tears and her distress alone caused Patricia great concern.

"Stephanie, please talk to me. Tell me what's happened."

Stephanie sniffed loudly as she wiped her eyes. She let out a couple of shaky breaths as she began to fiddle with her wedding rings. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to talk about it. Saying it out loud would make it real and right now she would give anything for it not to be. Because then she wouldn't have to face the fact that Paul didn't trust her. Nor remember that look of defeat in his eyes before he had walked out the door.

"Is it Paul? Has he done something that's upset you?"

Stephanie looked up and saw the concern etched on Patricia's face. She was obviously worried and desperate to get the bottom of what was going on. She couldn't blame her. After all, it was obvious something was up and it would only be a matter of time until she found out the truth anyway. Especially if Paul decided he wasn't coming home. God knows she couldn't stop that fear from creeping into her heart, crippling her. Stephanie let out a heavy sigh as she leant back in her chair, wiping the dampness from her cheeks.

"He's gone, Patricia. He walked out that door and I'm not even sure if he's coming back."

Patricia's eyes widened in shock and she sat there in stunned silence. Personally she was struggling to take in what Stephanie was telling her because she knew how much her son loved his family. It meant everything to him. What the hell had happened to make him even think about leaving them like this? It just didn't make sense. She tried to ignore the knots in her stomach as she patted Stephanie's knee.

"He'll be back once he's blown off some steam."

Stephanie shook her head slowly. "No, he won't." She pushed back her hair from her forehead and sighed heavily. "He thinks I'm having an affair, you know. With Mark, our next door neighbour."

Patricia listened in disbelief. She knew her son disliked him and Mark had been the cause of a few arguments between him and Stephanie. Paul had admitted as much when he had visited her a few weeks ago. He had also told her that Mark's intentions towards his wife were anything but friendly. But in almost the same breath he had agreed when she had reminded him that Stephanie loved him and would never allow anything to happen between them. But something had happened to make him think otherwise. And whatever it was, it was obviously making him act irrationally. She was just about to ask Stephanie what that something was when they were interrupted by Paul Snr and Ellie walking through the door.

Paul smiled at Stephanie apologetically. "This little girl won't go to sleep until she's said goodnight to everyone."

Stephanie managed a smile as she held out her arms to her daughter. "Come here then, sweetie."

Ellie grinned as she jumped up on her mother's knee. However, her grin turned to a frown as she noticed Stephanie's red eyes. Her hazel eyes searched her face frantically. "Mommy, have you been crying?"

Stephanie's heart broke as she saw the worried look on her daughter's face. She touched her face tenderly as she tried to reassure her. "A little but it's nothing for you to worry about okay?"

"But I don't like it when you're sad, Mommy. It makes me sad too."

Stephanie didn't know what to say. She just knew that she was dangerously close to losing it again so she just pulled Ellie close and began rocking her in her arms. "I know sweetie. I know."

Her eyes were closed as she kissed her daughter's hair and she failed to see the concerned looks that Paul's parents threw one another. Ellie lifted her head and shifted in her mother's lap as she looked around the room.

"Mommy, where's Daddy? I want him to read me a story."

Stephanie knew the question had been coming. She forced a smile on her face as she playfully tweaked her nose. She needed to put a brave face on for her daughter. If she didn't, she just might fall apart in front of her and she didn't want that to happen so she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. "He had to go and see Grandpa Vince about work."

Ellie pouted as she folded her arms in front of her. "But that's not fair. I wanted him to read me the rest of Snow White."

Stephanie ruffled her hair. "I can read you your story if you like."

"Will you do the voices like Daddy? He does really cool ones for all the dwarves."

Stephanie smiled as she pushed back her seat and wrapping her arms around Ellie, she lifted her up in her arms. "I'll try my best although I don't know if I'll be as good as Daddy."

Ellie grinned as Stephanie turned her round to face her grandparents.

"Say goodnight to Grandpa and Grandma."

Ellie lifted her arm in a wave. "Goodnight Grandpa. Goodnight Grandma."

Patricia walked over and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning."

She watched Stephanie and Ellie leave the kitchen and let out a sigh as she felt her husband's hand on her shoulder. She reached up and covered it with her own.

"Pat, what's going on? Why has Stephanie been crying?"

Patricia turned round to face her husband. He saw the sombre expression on her face and it worried him.

"Our son seems to think that Stephanie is having an affair."

Paul slowly shook his head as he tried to absorb the news. "But that's ludicrous. Stephanie would never cheat on him."

"I know that but unfortunately our son doesn't think so." She placed her head on her husband's chest and closed her eyes as she felt his arms wrap around her. "I just hope he comes to his senses soon before his family gets ripped apart."

She let out a shaky breath as her thoughts drifted to Paul. She just hated the thought of him being out there all alone. She prayed he would do nothing stupid or rash. She knew her son. He had a tendency to lash out when he was hurt or angry and right now he would be in a great deal of emotional pain. He loved Stephanie and the prospect of losing her or what they had would be devastating to him. Not to mention the fact that it would kill him to be away from his children. He had to realise his accusation was wrong and he was blowing this thing with Mark out of proportion. She just didn't want to think about what could happen if he didn't.

* * *

Stephanie twirled the glass round in her hand. The light from the television flickered across her face. It was nearly 5.00am and Paul still wasn't home. She should know. She had been waiting up for him all night with a bottle of wine for company. Or was it two? Right now, she couldn't even remember and quite frankly, she didn't care. She had just needed something to numb the pain and alcohol had seemed like a very good option. The only problem was it wasn't working. Her eyes were red raw from the tears she still shed every time she thought about her husband and she felt little effect from the wine. Despite what she had consumed, she was still stone cold sober.

Stephanie noticed her glass was empty and with a shaky breath she reached across to grab the bottle and poured herself another one. As she placed it back on the table, she lifted the wine to her mouth taking a few gulps in quick succession. When she was finished, the glass was practically empty and she was just about to reach for the bottle again when she heard it. The sound of the back door as it opened and closed in the kitchen. She felt her stomach churn as she realised Paul had come home. The question was what did it mean? Could she let herself hope that he had gotten rid of the ridiculous notion that she would ever cheat on him? Well she was about to find out. She sat on the edge of the sofa as her blue eyes focused intently on the door. Her heart raced in her chest as she watched Paul finally walk into the room.

Even though the only light in the room came from the television and the open window, she could still see his face and she could tell he was startled by her presence. Her husband obviously hadn't expected anyone to be up. He stood there frozen to the spot and she could hear his shallow breathing in the silence of the room. He refused to look at her as he glanced down at his hands, nervously wringing his fingers together.

Stephanie shifted uncomfortably in her seat before placing her glass down on the table. "I was worried about you."

Paul swallowed the lump in his throat as he continued to focus on his hands. He couldn't look at her because he knew if he did, he would be in danger of breaking down. And it wouldn't be the first time tonight. Once his anger had subsided, his temper had quickly been replaced with tears. He couldn't get erase that fucking picture from his mind. All he could see was that look in Stephanie's eyes as she had smiled at Mark. He knew it extremely well. It was the same look he had seen many times before only this time it wasn't directed at him. It had been directed that bastard. The man he held responsible for ruining his life. The man who had kissed his wife.

"Where have you been, Paul?"

He shuffled his feet as his gaze shifted to the wooden floor. He cleared his throat. "Just out. Walking."

He sensed her movement as she got up from the chair. His body tensed as she walked across towards him. She stopped about a foot away from him and he could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"You must be freezing cold. You didn't even have your coat on."

Stephanie reached across to touch his arm and saw him visibly flinch away from her. She felt the tears prick her eyes as Paul stepped back distancing himself from her. He still refused to look at her as he pushed back his hair with his hand.

"I'm going to go upstairs. I need to pack my stuff."

His statement was like a knife to her gut and Stephanie's blue eyes went wide with her panic as he turned on his heel to walk away.

"Why? Why are you packing your stuff? Don't tell me you're leaving?" she asked him.

Paul closed his eyes as he stopped in his tracks. He could hear the raw emotion in her voice and he knew if he looked round, he would see the tears on Stephanie's face. God this was hard. So much harder than he could have ever possibly imagined. But what did he expect? He loved this woman with all his heart and soul. It was never going to be easy walking out on her or what they had together.

Paul let out a heavy sigh rubbing his hand wearily across his face as his eyes flickered open. "I was sort of thinking I might go on that tour." he admitted softly as his gaze focused on the staircase.

"Europe?"

He simply nodded.

Stephanie snorted in disgust furiously wiping away the tears from her eyes. She felt her hurt slowly turning to anger as she stood glaring at her husband. Her husband who was seriously considering leaving her and their kids for almost a month on a tour he wasn't expected to be at. A tour he hadn't even wanted to go on in the first place. Paul had been the one to make the decision to stay at home telling both her and Vince he couldn't be away from his kids for that length of time. That he refused to. Now it appeared he'd changed his mind. Well the least he could do was sound a little fucking upset about it. Instead he was acting like his decision meant nothing. Like him leaving wasn't going to completely rip their lives apart especially given the circumstances because Paul was leaving at a time when he desperately needed to stay. He had to if they were going to find a way to fix this mess. Or maybe he didn't want to fix it and this was his way of telling her that. After all he was the one standing there sounding like he didn't give a damn. That it meant nothing to just walk out on her like this. Well he wasn't going to get away with it. She wanted some answers and she was going to get them. God knows it was the least she fucking deserved.

Stephanie crossed the short distance between them and grabbed Paul's arm. She tugged him round to face her and the sharp words that were on the tip of her tongue were suddenly gone as she saw the expression on his handsome face. Tears glistened in his deep brown eyes and his whole demeanour was sad. That was when Stephanie realised she couldn't be further from the truth. Paul did care. His heart was breaking just as badly as hers was and that gave her hope that there was a chance they could somehow work this mess out; that they could talk about this and be rational before any stupid decisions were made. Decisions that could possibly make or break their marriage. Or at least that's the way Stephanie saw it.

"You can't leave Paul." she told him as she reached for his hand and a wave of relief washed over her when he didn't flinch away this time. Instead his fingers loosely threaded through hers as he stood there in silence.

The truth was Paul didn't know what to say or what to do. His heart was screaming for him to stay but in his head, he knew he had to leave. He needed space; space from this whole fucking mess with Mark and space to clear his head. God knows this whole situation was screwing with his brain and he didn't know what to think any more. Sure the logical part of him knew Stephanie wasn't capable of cheating on him but once upon a time he never thought she would be capable of lying to him either or keeping secrets. But it seemed to be one secret in his marriage after another lately. First there had been the kiss she had never meant him to find out about. He had to admit that hurt pretty fucking badly. Then there was the fact that not only was the guy an old school friend, it actually turned out she had dated him too. And while usually an ex-boyfriend wouldn't bother in him in the least, the very fact Stephanie had been seeing Mark behind his back when he had blatantly told her to stay away from him troubled him as well as pissed him off. Because that rat bastard had been here at some point yesterday to deliver that birthday card. And he had also been here last week when he had called and Ellie had let the cat out of the bag. And that was only the times he had found out about. How many other times had Mark been here while he was on the road? Ten? Twenty? Obviously plenty enough times to get real comfortable with one another and get a fucking photograph taken. And that was the thing that got him the most because there was no mistaking the look on Stephanie's face as she had looked at Mark. It was loving and gentle. It was obvious his wife cared about the guy and not in a merely friendly way either.

Paul sniffed angrily as he tried his best to hold back the tears that threatened that fall. He refused to cry. Not in front of a woman who had been playing him for a fool. A woman who he loved more than he had ever dreamt possible and a woman who he thought loved him back the same way but maybe not. Or at least not any more.

"But I don't think I can stay." he eventually replied.

His voice waivered with his emotion and Paul's heart felt extremely heavy as he turned his head and finally allowed himself to look Stephanie in the eye. He could see the pain in her blue orbs, the same pain he knew was reflected in his but in that moment her pain offered him very little solace. Because she had caused this mess the second she got herself involved with someone else. Somebody who it seemed she just couldn't stay away from despite her promise to him.

"Give me one good reason why you have to go." Stephanie asked.

Paul shook his head in disbelief. He jolted his arm back removing his hand from hers as he stared at her incredulously. "You know why Stephanie! Surely I don't have to spell it out to you?"

"Hell no!" she shot back in frustration as her hands pushed through her hair, angry at her husband's accusing tone. "I've only had to listen to you harp on and on about him since he moved in across the fucking street!" she shouted.

Paul grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the direction of the stairs. "Will you keep your voice down? You'll wake up the kids." he hissed.

Stephanie shrugged him off in a rage and spotting the bottle of wine through the open door of the living room, she felt the sudden urge for a drink. She walked back across to the table where it was sitting and began to pour herself another glass. God knows she was going to need it and as she took a mouthful of the wine, Stephanie could see Paul watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"Don't you think you've had enough?"

She sneered at him as she spun round to face him, the stem of the glass laced through her fingers. "Like you give a damn anyway."

"Don't be ridiculous Steph. Of course I do." Paul replied shaking his head.

"Do you really because it doesn't look that way to me." Stephanie told him as she briefly paused to take another sip of wine. "I mean if you really gave a damn, don't you think you'd be sticking around instead of walking out on me."

"I'm not walking out on anyone Steph." Paul scowled.

"No, you're just going on a tour. A conveniently long tour might I add which just shows how much you think of me and our kids."

"Don't you dare!" Paul snarled as he pointed his long finger in her direction. "Don't you dare stand there and tell me I don't care about us. Because I do care! You and our children are everything to me, Stephanie. Everything! And as much as I know I have to do this, it's killing me to even think about leaving for a month."

He swallowed hard as he brought his hand up to rub his face wearily and his heavy sigh echoed around the silent living room

"But do you know what's killing me even more right now? The thought of you being with someone else. Someone else that just isn't me."

Stephanie could hear the pain in her husband's voice and despite her anger, her tone was soft as she shook her head slowly. "Why won't you believe me, Paul? Why won't you trust me when I tell you that there is nothing going on between Mark and I? I mean what have I ever done that would make you think otherwise?"

"Oh let's see, shall we?" Paul shot back dryly. "How about the fact that you kissed him or the fact that you can't seem to stay away from him. Fuck knows ever since he came into our lives, our marriage has been full of secrets and lies and arguments."

Paul's voice trailed off and his expression was sad as he sat down on the sofa, the cushion crumpling underneath his weight. His brown eyes watched Stephanie take a long drink from her glass before sitting down in the chair opposite him. He could see the unshed tears in her eyes as she let out a slow, shaky breath. Suddenly any anger he had felt disappeared only to be replaced with an overwhelming sadness and the realisation that he couldn't go on like this any longer. Every argument and every accusation was killing him and it was killing their marriage. He had to do something before it killed it off for good and their relationship was damaged beyond repair.

Paul sat forward on his seat, leaning his arms on his legs. He was struggling to keep his emotions in check as their eyes met across the room.

"Steph, I love you. You know that. But right now, it's not enough and you and I both know we can't go on like this."

He saw his wife's bottom lip quiver and it took everything he had not to go to her and comfort her. Because that's what he did. He comforted her and he protected her and he had done for as long as he could remember. But not right now. Now he had to try and keep his head and try to find the words to make her understand his logic behind his decision.

"See there was a time not so long ago when you would tell me everything no matter how big or small it was. You never felt the need to hide anything from me and you were always honest with me. I knew without a doubt that I trusted you implicitly."

Paul paused for a moment as he pressed his lips together. His chest burned with his pain so much so he felt physically sick but somehow he forced himself to continue.

"But now that trust is in question." he continued sadly. "I mean every time you tell me nothing is going on between you and Mark, I know there's a small part of me that doesn't believe you and that's when the arguments and accusations all start. And I don't want to spend my life arguing with you, Steph."

He paused for a second as he watched a tear roll down her cheek and it took everything he had to ignore his natural impulse to reach for her.

"We can't live like that any more. Not for us. Not for the kids." he said almost in a soft whisper.

Stephanie gulped back her tears as she shook her head and her voice was rushed and desperate as her big eyes pleaded with him.

"But I promise to stay away from him, Paul. I do. In fact, we could move away from here and away from him. He would be out of our lives for good and you would know you could trust me again."

"I wish it was that simple but its not." Paul told her sadly. "Moving away wouldn't solve anything for us. I mean unless there is trust between us, I'm always going to see a Mark in our lives whether it's here or somewhere else. And you were right when you said earlier that we can't survive that. We'd only end up bitter and hating one another and I never ever want that to happen to us."

Stephanie's strangled sob echoed strangely around the four walls of the room. As her body shook with her frightened breaths and tears, Paul felt his heart break as he covered the short distance between them and pulled Stephanie into his arms. She gripped onto him tightly as she buried her face in his chest and cried. Paul kissed the top of her head as he felt a solitary tear of his own trickle down his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, baby." he whispered into her hair as he dropped a kiss there, closing his eyes. "Maybe I'm blaming you when I should be taking a long look at myself. I mean maybe I am this bitter jealous asshole like Mark said. I'm sure acting like one."

Stephanie quickly lifted her head and shaking it profusely, she reached out to touch his face with her hand as her red rimmed eyes watched him carefully. "No Paul. If there is anyone to blame here, it's me. I mean you were right. I have lied to you and I have kept things from you but it wasn't deliberate. Okay, the kiss was but I said nothing about it at the time because it meant nothing. It should never have happened. And I swear to you that nothing is going on with Mark and I and that's the truth, Paul. You have to believe me."

"See that's the problem." Paul began as he reached up lifting her hand away and guiding it away from him. "I want to believe you. I really do. But I can't. I just can't." he finished sadly and his eyes were filled with sorrow as he stood up from the floor and walked away from Stephanie.

He was guided by the full moon in the sky that shone through the open curtains and standing in front of the bay window, his lips curved up fondly as he admired the frost that danced and glistened under the twinkling stars. It had been cold and frosty the night he had proposed to Stephanie. In fact it had been absolutely fucking freezing if he remembered correctly. He had silently congratulated himself several times that day glad he'd had the foresight to book that hotel room rather than proposing on the horse and carriage ride like he had initially planned. Something Stephanie had said about princesses and fairytales had prompted that idea but after catching the local weather report he'd quickly nipped it in the bud. God knows he'd stammered like an idiot that night as it was. Throw chattering teeth and frozen lips into the mix and the whole thing would have been a complete disaster. Although maybe not entirely because despite the elements, he was pretty sure he would have found some way of showing Stephanie just how much she truly meant to him and how he planned to spend his whole life proving it over and over again.

But all thoughts of that night quickly left his head as Paul sensed Stephanie's presence behind him and his shoulders tensed as he braced himself for their inevitable conversation.

"So have you got any idea what we do now?" Stephanie asked

"Not really." he sighed.

"But going on this tour you think it's the right thing to do?"

"I don't know." Paul admitted as he lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "But I reckon we could both use the space right now."

"Yeah well speak for yourself."

He slowly turned to see Stephanie watching him and her lips were pressed together tightly as her arms folded over her chest.

"Because I don't need space, Paul. I just need my husband to trust me."

"Steph….." Paul began but his words were silenced by Stephanie as she held up her hand.

"Or at least have the decency to admit what this tour really is. It's a break. A break from us and a break from our marriage."

He shook his head sadly. "That's not what I want."

"But it's what we've got, right?"

Paul could say nothing as any words stuck in the back of his throat and he watched as a tear slowly tricked down Stephanie's face.

"You can explain it to Ellie and Jake. I'm going to bed."

She quickly brushed by Paul and his sad brown eyes continued to watch her as she scurried up the stairs and out of sight.


	26. Chapter 26

I think I got a little carried away with this one and it's a bit longer than I realised but it sort of wraps things up for the next chapter. And I'd like to say thanks again for all your wonderful reviews. It really means a lot and they are definitely all appreciated heaps! :)

* * *

Chapter 26

Stephanie watched her daughter push her fork around on her plate. Strands of spaghetti fell off the edge landing on the crisp white tablecloth and the tomato sauce stained the material. Sighing, Stephanie put down her own fork and picked up the offending pieces of pasta, placing them on the napkin. "Stop playing with your food, Ellie."

Ellie's brown eyes were sad as she looked up towards her mother. "But I'm not hungry Mommy."

"But you have to eat sweetie."

Her eyes automatically drifted towards her mother's untouched plate. "Why? You're not eating your dinner." she observed, her button nose scrunching up as she scowled.

"Never mind me." Stephanie looked at her daughter sternly.

Ellie frowned as she twirled a strand of pasta around her fork. "Daddy doesn't make me finish my dinner."

"Well Daddy's not here, is he?" Stephanie snapped back.

She instantly regretted her harsh words as Ellie's bottom lip began to quiver. She reached out and smoothed back her hair on her forehead. God knows she never meant to take any of this out on the kids. They'd been through enough as it was what with their father leaving and it broke her heart every time she remembered the look on her daughter's face as she came running into the bedroom, crying her eyes out that Daddy was gone. Paul's promise to call every day had done nothing to appease her either and why would it when all Ellie wanted was her father home, here with her. She doted on her daddy and she loved him so much. She hated every single second he was away from home. Stephanie hated it too. Part of her still couldn't believe that Paul had done this, that he was actually gone. But he was and she would have to find some way to deal with that. They all would find a way. Her, Jake and Ellie. They had to because quite simply, she refused to let this family fall apart.

"I'm so sorry Ellie." she told her little girl. "Mommy didn't mean to shout at you like that."

Her daughter sniffed and her brown eyes filled with tears. "I want Daddy to come home, Mommy. I miss him."

Stephanie's heart broke as she pulled her daughter to her chest and hugged her close. "I know you do baby. And I miss him too."

She bit down on her lip as she felt her own tears well in her eyes. Paul had only left this morning but it felt like he had been gone forever. There had been a horrible subdued atmosphere in the house all day. Ellie had been miserable ever since she had come home from school. Jake had been oddly quiet and clingy all day. He obviously could sense something was wrong despite his inability to understand what was going on.

She heard a clatter and looked across to see Jake's favourite toy car fall to the ground. Her son's head lolled backwards as he fell sound asleep in his chair. His tiny lips parted and she felt a pang in her chest. His perfect features were the spitting image of Paul. She blinked back the tears as she kissed her daughter's hair. She couldn't allow herself to break down again. She had to try and stay strong for her children's sake.

"Mommy, can I call Daddy and talk to him?"

"Of course you can."

"Can I call him now?"

Ellie lifted her head and Stephanie could see the hopeful look in her eyes. She reluctantly nodded her head. The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to get upset again but at the same time, she knew it wouldn't be right to stop her from talking to Paul. And maybe if he heard the pain in his baby girl's voice, he would realise the damage he had done by walking out on his family the way he did. She knew she was being harsh but Paul wasn't the one having to pick up the pieces. It was hard to see her children struggling to cope and not feel bitter. Never mind the fact she was struggling to cope herself.

"You can talk to Daddy while I put Jake in bed." she agreed.

Stephanie saw the first real smile on Ellie's face that day as she jumped up from her seat and ran through to the living room. Paul's number was on speed dial so thankfully she was capable of calling him herself. Stephanie didn't want to talk to him. Not when the sound of his voice would only break her heart in two. God knows she'd shed enough tears this morning to last her a lifetime.

She lifted Jake carefully from his seat and he stirred a little as his head rested on her shoulder. Stephanie rubbed his back soothingly as she carried him into the living room where she instantly heard the sound of Ellie crying. Alarmed, she immediately went across to the sofa where her little girl sat holding the phone in her hand. She sat down beside her and resting Jake down on her lap, she pulled Ellie towards her cradling her head of curls in her hand. "Ellie honey, what's wrong?"

"Daddy has his phone switched off." she explained, her shoulders shaking with her sobs.

"He must be working sweetie. You can call him again later."

"B-but he promised Mommy! He p-promised he'd always be there for me." A fresh onslaught of tears rolled down her face. Her sobbing caused Jake to wake up and suddenly in a show of solidarity for his big sister, he began to cry too.

Suddenly it all became too much for Stephanie. Her own tears began to stream down her face as she listened to her babies cry. She cursed her husband as she held both her children close to her.

"Damn it, Paul. Can't you see what you've done?" she whispered as she hugged them even tighter. Her family was falling apart and she didn't know if she had the strength to cope.

"Stephanie, it's only me."

Her mother's voice filtered through from the hallway. Stephanie gulped back her tears as she rocked her children in her arms.

"I knocked but you didn't answer….." Linda's voice trailed away as she saw the look of utter devastation on her daughter's face. The sound of her grandchildren's sobs broke her heart and she rushed over towards them. "Stephanie, what is it? What's happened?"

Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat. "P-Paul's gone Mom. He's left to go to Europe and I'm so scared. What if he never comes back?" Her voice broke as she burst into tears again.

Linda wrapped her arm around her daughter who was holding Ellie and Jake tightly. The sound of their tears caused her own to well up in her eyes. She couldn't take in the fact that Stephanie could even think Paul wouldn't return home. What made her think that way? It was only yesterday that they had been here celebrating Jake's birthday. Paul and Stephanie had been so happy. In fact her daughter had even let it slip that they would be trying for another baby. It was hard to believe it had it apparently all gone so wrong in such a short space of time. But what on earth had happened and why had Paul gone to Europe? Vince had never mentioned anything or even told her Paul was on the tour. But as she brushed back her daughter's hair, Linda decided she would ask questions later. Right now Stephanie needed her and that was her priority. She wasn't going to let her daughter down. She was going to be here to comfort her one way or another.

* * *

Paul's finger lightly traced the glass covering the framed picture he held in his hand. His heart ached as he touched the four faces smiling back at him reminding him of happier times. He could remember the exact moment the photo had been taken. It had been the evening of his birthday and they had held a barbecue out in the garden. His family along with the rest of the McMahons had been there. Stephanie had of course been her creative self decorating the outside garden with balloons, streamers and strings of lights hanging them from the house and the trees. Jake had been fascinated by the twinkling lights put up around the trellising so he had taken his son to sit on the bench to watch them, pointing out the various colours to him. Stephanie and Ellie had joined them not long after and that had been when his mother had shouted "smile" and snapped the picture. Looking at it now, it was amazing to see how much his children had grown in the past few months, especially Jake. He was definitely losing his babyish features and looking at Ellie, she had practically sprouted since then too. Her hair had also grown and her corkscrew curls were tame in comparison to recently. God, he missed them. He felt a pang in his heart every time he thought about them or wondered what they were doing at that moment in time. He also thought about Stephanie and of course those thoughts of his family had prompted him to dig out this photo from his luggage. The only visible reminder of the family he had left behind.

Paul sighed as he placed it down on the nightstand next to the bed and resting his arms on his legs, he looked around the lonely hotel room. It sucked but he knew he had no right to sit here and feel sorry for himself. After all, leaving this morning had been his choice. But still that didn't mean he wasn't sad. In fact fucking heartbroken was a better description.

Glancing at the phone on the bedside table, Paul raked his hand through his hair before tentatively reaching out for the receiver. He wanted to call her. He had wanted to call her all day and he was becoming almost desperate to hear her voice as if somehow that could make him feel close to her. That somehow he could magically make the distance between them disappear. If only it were that simple for them.

Paul quickly pulled his hand away resisting the overwhelming temptation to make the call. Because despite needing to know Stephanie was okay, he couldn't listen to the pain in her voice knowing he was the one responsible for putting it there. Because he knew he had hurt his wife terribly by walking out on her. He had seen it in her face when she had ended their conversation last night. He could tell by her actions this morning when she had refused to say goodbye to him and opted to hide out in the bedroom instead. Stephanie hadn't wanted to talk to him then and chances were, she wouldn't want to talk to him now.

Rubbing his big hands over his thick thighs, Paul quickly stood up from the bed. He had to get out of here. Being inside these four walls was driving him crazy and just sitting here definitely gave him way too much time to think. Grabbing his gym bag from the corner, Paul decided a workout in the gym might just be the perfect distraction. God knows he could use one of them right now and maybe if he was lucky he just might forget his whole world had fallen apart for just a second or two.

Picking his key card up from the dresser, Paul made his way out of the door. It clicked softly behind him as he began to walk down the hotel corridor and he had only just reached the elevator when the voice behind him stopped him in his tracks.

"So it's true then?"

Paul briefly closed his eyes letting out a slow breath. Shane. He had been the last person he had expected or wanted to see tonight.

"You're really doing this?"

His eyes slowly fluttered open as he regained his composure knowing he was about to face the music whether he liked it or not. And it was a confrontation he had hoped he could avoid, for now at least. That's why he'd decided to stay away from the arena tonight. He hadn't been scheduled for RAW so he was going to stay at the hotel instead hoping to quietly sneak on the flight to Germany tomorrow morning. The McMahons weren't scheduled to fly out until next week. It was a week that he hoped would buy him some time before facing them and facing their questions. Because honestly, they would be questions he just didn't have any answers to. If he did, he wouldn't be here right now in some sort of tortured limbo shedding tears every time he thought about the family he had left behind.

"I couldn't believe it when Mom told me. At first I thought it was some sort of cruel joke."

Paul swallowed thickly and ducking his head, he slightly turned in Shane's direction gazing at the floor when he finally answered. "Oh it's no joke. Believe me." he said thickly and feeling unexpected tears prick his eyes, he blinked them back angrily. But he wasn't quick enough to disguise his pain. Shane must have noticed something in his expression because Paul could hear the concern in his voice when he eventually spoke.

"How are you holding up anyway?"

"How the fuck do you think I'm holding up?" Paul shot back but he instantly regretted his words and turning to face Shane, his apologetic brown eyes sought him out. After all, it wasn't Shane's fault he was in this mess. Oh no. He had himself to thank for that one. Himself and that rat bastard across the street that couldn't keep his fucking dirty hands off his wife.

"Look I'm sorry, Shano." he said sighing as his big hand lifted to rub his beard. "It's just been a long day, you know."

Shane nodded and smiled sympathetically as his worried eyes scanned the weary face in front of him. Quite frankly Paul looked like shit. His eyes were red and bloodshot and his skin was pale. It was obvious he hadn't slept at all recently and his heart went out to him. Because despite the fact Stephanie was his sister, he couldn't be angry with him. Paul obviously wasn't happy with his decision to leave which begged the question why he was going on this tour in the first place. It wasn't going to solve anything and judging from what his mom had told him this evening Paul was playing right into Mark's hands too. No doubt the little fucker would be rubbing his hands in glee knowing he was gone. He didn't remember much about the guy but he could remember he had been absolutely infatuated with Stephanie in high school and by the sounds of things, he was still as infatuated. Only this time his infatuation had consequences. Consequences he couldn't quite get his head around to be honest because no matter what Mark's intentions were, Stephanie loved Paul. The very idea that she would cheat on him was absolutely ludicrous to him. But for some reason it wasn't ludicrous to Paul. But why? That was the part he couldn't quite get his head around. Something had obviously happened to make Paul think something was going on between his sister and Mark. Something serious enough to go half way round the world in an attempt to run away from it.

"Listen why don't we go downstairs and have a drink? And if you feel up to it maybe we can talk." Shane offered as he reached out, gently patting his brother in law on the shoulder.

"Talking isn't going to change anything, Shane." Paul replied giving him a wry smile.

"Maybe not but it might help."

"I don't think so." he said lightly shaking his head as his eyes darted in the direction of the elevator. He could feel the tears that had threatened to shed so many times today catch in his throat and he pushed them back suddenly needing to get away, to get away from Shane who was nothing but a constant reminder of Stephanie. And right now, he just wanted to forget. He wanted to be alone.

Paul began to slowly back away and felt a wave of relief wash over him as he heard the elevator doors slide open behind him offering him an escape route.

"Look, I need to get to the gym. I'll catch you later Shane."

"But Paul, wait!" Shane called but his shout fell on deaf ears. The elevator doors closed over drowning him out.

Shane raked his hand through his hair in frustration. Everything was such a fucking mess. Paul was going through hell and judging by his mother's phone call this evening, Stephanie was a wreck. God only knows the effect all of this was having on Ellie and Jake. But one thing was certain. He needed to try and help sort this out and to achieve that, he had to get Paul to talk. It was the only way to try and make him see sense about the whole situation because the truth was running off to Europe wasn't going to solve anything. It wasn't going to fix this mess and it wasn't going to fix his marriage either. And while he very rarely liked to interfere in other's people's business, it was pretty clear he needed to get involved. God knows Paul and his sister could be as proud and stubborn as one another. But he could be stubborn too which is why he was going to catch Paul when he got back from the arena tonight and force the issue with him. After all Paul was married to a McMahon. He was bound to know that he wasn't going to get away from him that easily.

* * *

Linda sighed as she lingered in the doorway of her daughter's bedroom. Concern was etched in her motherly face as she watched Stephanie lying on the king size bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. Her cheeks were wet and still glistened with the tears she had shed earlier this evening. Her daughter had obviously cried herself to sleep but at least now she was resting. Stephanie had been exhausted being she hadn't slept since the night before Paul left.

Absently frowning, Linda was about to close the door over when she heard Stephanie call out her husband's name. It looked like her pain haunted her even in her sleep and Linda felt helpless knowing she couldn't even take that pain away. As a mother it killed her to see her daughter so heartbroken and as a grandmother, even more so because it wasn't only Paul and Stephanie that were affected by all this. Her grandchildren were too.

Linda stood in the doorway for a few seconds longer before closing the door over behind her and she made her way downstairs to check on Ellie. She had left her watching a movie while she had put Jake to bed. When she walked into the living room, Linda saw Ellie already standing waiting on her.

"Is Mommy asleep?"

Linda nodded and smiled. "And it will be your bedtime soon. You've got school in the morning."

Ellie nodded causing her curls to bounce on her head. "Can I call Daddy before I go to sleep?"

Linda smiled as she ruffled her hair. "Of course you can. You know Mommy said you could call him whenever you liked. In fact, why don't you call him now and I'll make you a nice cup of hot chocolate for afterwards."

Ellie grinned. "And can I have it like Daddy makes it?"

"And how does he make it sweetie?"

"He puts marshmallows and cream on the top."

"Then marshmallows and cream it is." Linda smiled as she watched Ellie run over and pick up the phone. After a few seconds of waiting, her little face erupted into a huge grin.

"It's ringing Grandma." she exclaimed as she sat down on the sofa waiting patiently for her daddy to answer. She didn't have to wait for long. As soon as he said hello, she beamed down the phone. "Daddy, it's me!"

Despite the lump that gathered in his throat at the sound of his daughter's voice, Paul managed his first genuine smile that day. "Hey, Miss Ellie! How's my favourite little girl?"

"I'm your only little girl, silly." Ellie giggled down the phone.

"I know but you're still my favourite, toots. So, how's school?"

"Fine." Ellie sighed down the phone. "I didn't want to go but Mommy made me."

"You know you have to go to school, Ellie."

"But I felt sad and Mommy and Jakey are sad too." her little voice informed him as it wavered at the other end.

Paul closed his eyes as an immense feeling of guilt washed over him. The very idea of his children being anything less than happy killed him inside and even more so knowing it was his fault. The whole mess was his fault. Why the hell couldn't he believe and trust his wife because if he did he could be at home right now reading his daughter a bedtime story. He could be holding her in his arms breathing in her familiar smell and feeling her soft hair tickle his nose. Instead he was stuck in this hotel room listening to her at the end of a phone. It was a poor substitute for what he really wanted.

"When are you coming home, Daddy?" Ellie asked him.

Paul swallowed hard and furiously blinked back his tears. He refused to break down and cry. He didn't want to and the truth was he had no right to. "Soon, sweetheart. Soon." he told her as her tiny whimpers echoed down the line breaking his heart all over again.

"But I miss you Daddy. I want you to come home now." Ellie demanded as those whimpers suddenly turned into shaky sobs. Paul's vision was blurred as his own tears welled in his eyes, tears he quickly sniffed back.

"Ellie honey, please don't cry." he asked in an attempt to soothe her. "You know Daddy has to work."

There was silence for a moment as his daughter's sobbing eventually petered out and she eventually spoke. "Well work sucks Daddy."

"Ellie!" he warned as he sat down on the bed and Paul's shoulders slumped forward as he pushed his hand through his hair before leaning his forehead against his palm. "Look it's not forever sweetie. The time will pass by really quickly and Daddy will be home again before you know it."

"But when Daddy? Because I wanted you to take me to the zoo. Will you take me to the zoo? Please?"

"I promise I'll take you to the zoo." Paul smiled.

"When?"

"When I get home. I'll talk to Mommy and get her to circle the date for you on the calendar."

"You promise?"

"I promise." he told her as he lifted his head and his brown eyes were sad as he stared at the picture that he had placed on the nightstand earlier. "I love you, short stuff." he smiled.

"I love you too."

"Give Jake a kiss for me will you and tell him I'll see him real soon, okay?"

"Okay and I'll kiss Mommy too. Bye Daddy."

"Bye sweetheart." Paul replied hearing the click of the phone as Ellie hung up. His brown eyes remained fixated on the picture and in particular Stephanie. The woman he loved more than life itself. The woman he would do anything for except trust in her and trust in their marriage.

Pressing his lips together, Paul bit back his tears as he quickly stood up from the bed. The receiver made a loud clunk in the four walls of the room as he tossed it back in place and Paul had only one destination in mind as the room and made his way down the hotel corridor.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Shane found Paul slumped over the bar. It had been his first port of call after trying his hotel room and his relentless knocks went unanswered. He could see a group of girls hovering next to where his brother in law was sitting and it didn't surprise him. No matter where he went, Paul always got attention much to Stephanie's annoyance sometimes. But Shane could tell he was oblivious to the longing looks being thrown his way tonight. Either that or Paul just didn't care. He saw the girls back away as he approached Paul at the bar and he smiled, greeting him. However that smile quickly turned to a concerned frown as Paul's glazed eyes looked up at him.

"Hey, Shano! Coming to join the party?" Paul asked as he lifted his hand to summon the bar tender. "What can I get you to drink McMahon?"

Shane smiled cautiously at the bar tender. "I'll have whatever he's having."

Paul held up his glass and smiled. "Make it two."

He tilted his head back and finished the drink. Shane frowned wondering how many of those he had had. His voice was slurred and his cheeks were flushed with the alcohol. It didn't take Einstein to figure out Paul was drunk. It just surprised him that all because he very rarely saw Paul drink and even when he did, it was never more than one or two.

"You know I used to call your sister McMahon all the time." Paul snickered grabbing his attention once more. "I only started doing it because it bugged the hell out of her but I guess it stuck like one of those annoying little habits you develop."

Paul paused as he twirled the empty tumbler round in his hand before snorting with amusement.

"She used to get pissed off when I called her it after we got married. She would always tell me, "I'm a Levesque now, thank you very much." He lifted his head and smiled sadly. "It would actually make me kind of proud, you know."

"I know." Shane smiled back as he picked up his drink from the bar and took a sip. He made a face as the raw taste of the alcohol burnt the back of his throat. "What the hell is this stuff anyway?" he asked grimacing.

Paul grinned as he held up his glass as if to toast him. "I don't know and I really don't care." he told him as he took a large gulp almost finishing the drink.

Shane shook his head. "So this is your solution, huh?"

"Save me the lecture." he replied with a glare. "I don't want to hear it."

Shane sighed as he placed his drink back on the bar and turned to his friend. "Paul, I just want to help."

"Yeah well maybe I don't want your help. Maybe I just want to be left in peace."

"Why? So you can drink yourself into complete oblivion?"

"Well it's better than the alternative." Paul snarled.

"Which is?"

"None of your business Shane." he spat back as he tilted the glass in the air, finishing his drink. Paul wobbled slightly as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Paul, where are you going?" asked Shane, sighing impatiently.

"Back to my room. I'm not staying here to listen to you banging on at me."

As Paul placed his glass back on the bar, he tripped over his stool but fortunately managed to somehow stay on his feet. Shane stood up and reached out to steady him lifting Paul's arm and wrapping it around his neck. The solid weight of his muscle momentarily knocked him off balance. Shane steadied up as he turned to Paul. The guy reeked of alcohol and his eyes were rolling around in his head as they tried their best to focus.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." he announced as Shane carried Paul out of the bar and into the elevator. The doors slid shut behind him and as he waited to reach the sixth floor, he watched Paul's head roll forward and his body weight pressed down on him like a tonne weight. He was practically unconscious by the time they stumbled out into the corridor and Shane got him to his room. He had to rake in Paul's pocket to find his key card to open the door. As he sat him down, his body fell backwards on the bed. Shane struggled to remove his jacket and tossed it on the chair behind him.

"I miss you." Paul's whispered voice echoed through the room before he fell silent and his low, deep breathing signalled he was asleep.

Shane sighed as he grabbed the comforter and placed it over him. Paul was definitely in worse shape than he thought. Thank God he'd made the decision to find him after the show. Even Vince had been worried once he'd been filled in on the details. But why the hell was Paul doing this to himself? From what he could gather through his conversations with his mother, this whole mess was because of a photograph. A photograph that had somehow led Paul to believe Stephanie was having an affair with Mark. It just didn't add up and neither did the fact that Paul could potentially end his marriage because of it. And it was fairly obvious to him and anyone else with eyes in their head that Paul didn't want this. He didn't want to be apart from Stephanie which was perfectly plain by the drunken mess he'd found him in. So why had he done it? Why had he risked his marriage like this?

Just then Paul muttered something incoherent interrupting Shane's train of thought. He glanced over at the bed just in time to see Paul roll over and bury his face in the pillow. He was in no fit state to be alone tonight which was why he would reschedule his flight for the morning. He would watch over his brother in law and make sure he was okay. And after that, once Paul had sobered up, he was going to make him talk and get to the bottom of this because something just didn't sit right with him. And it was something he was determined to find out one way or another.

* * *

As Shane watched over Paul, he was completely unaware that hundreds of miles away his sister was determined to figure it all out too. Stephanie was sitting at the kitchen table staring at the picture in her hand. As well as making her sick to the stomach, it also confused her. She racked her brains trying to think when this had been. She couldn't remember any photo being taken let alone one where she was staring into Mark's eyes and smiling at him. There was something not quite right about it. Something that was beginning to creep her out the more and more she thought about it.

Stephanie sighed as she placed the photo down on the wooden surface. The clock ticked loudly in the silent room as she thought of her husband for the millionth time that day. How she wished she could get inside his head and try and figure out what he was thinking because from where she was standing, Paul was putting two and two together and coming up with a thousand. Although if she was being honest, she could understand why Paul was upset when he saw the photo and throw in her stupid white lies and her husband had a pretty good case. But that still didn't answer the question as to where the hell Mark got that fucking photograph from. It had literally appeared out of nowhere and she had absolutely no recollection about it.

Stephanie stood up and pushed back her chair. She walked across and pulled open the drawer where the photo had been and she began rummaging through until she found it. It was an envelope with no postage marks and Paul's name on the front. It had obviously been hand delivered to the house which confused her but it only confused her up to the point where she could admit it was pretty clear Mark was out to cause trouble between them. But why? Why would he send that picture to Paul unless of course Paul had been right about him all along. He knew Mark clearly had an agenda here, an agenda she hadn't seen or maybe didn't want to see because one of her biggest faults was giving people the benefit of the doubt. People she believed and she trusted. People who she thought she knew to some degree albeit it was a long time ago. The same people who were obviously playing some sort of sick game with her life. Why the hell hadn't she listened to Paul in the first place? He had warned her about Mark. He had asked her so many times to stay away but of course she didn't listen. Oh no. Stephanie Levesque always knew best even at the detriment to her marriage.

Stephanie sighed and her stomach twisted in anxious knots as she tried her best to fit the pieces together. There was something familiar about that photo despite being able to remember nothing about it. Having a flash of inspiration, Stephanie went to the other drawer where she found a pack of recent photographs. She quickly flipped through them but she quickly stalled and a lump appeared in her throat as she came across a picture of her and Paul. God, they looked so happy together. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder as she leant into his chest smiling. And he was smiling too. Paul had such an incredibly beautiful smile. Stephanie's finger reached out and she touched his face. God knows she missed him so much right now. In fact she missed Paul so much she physically ached for him. His leaving her had caused her so much despair and it had only been one day. How on earth was she was going to survive one whole month without him?

Blinking back the tears that welled in her ocean blue pools, Stephanie continued her search and her hands furiously flicked through the photographs. Finally she saw it and her breath caught in her throat. It was a picture of her and Ellie and her clothes, her hair, her facial expression, everything was exactly the same as it was in the photo Mark had sent to Paul. She remembered it now. They had been at the park with Mark, Jamie and Chloe. Ellie had made her a daisy chain and as she had handed it to her, Mark had snapped the shot with his camera. She remembered him showing it to her on the computer the next day and printing off a copy. It all started to make sense now. Mark had obviously rigged the photograph somehow and placed him in it instead of Ellie. And it wouldn't be hard for someone with his knowledge and the equipment he had. Mark was a computer geek. He always had been. Now all she had to do was prove that he had altered the picture. And she had to prove it. It was the only solution she could think of to save her marriage and convince Paul to come home.

Stephanie looked up at the clock. Even though it was two o'clock in the morning, she had a good mind to go over there and bang down his fucking door. But she wouldn't. She would wait if only for Chloe's sake. That and the fact she needed to get her head together.

Stephanie went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine. She noticed her hands were shaking as she grabbed a corkscrew and opened the bottle. The cork gave a loud pop as she pulled it free. Stephanie poured the yellowish liquid into the glass and took a drink. She let out a shaky breath as the warmth of the alcohol settled in her stomach and she carried the glass and the bottle across to the table. She needed to remain calm and plan the best way to tackle Mark. There was no need to rush anything. She had the best part of the night to think things through. It's not like she would get any sleep anyway without Paul in bed beside her. And as soon as morning arrived, she was going over there to confront Mark. The bastard was due her some answers and she was going to make sure that this time, she got them.


	27. Chapter 27

Thanks again for all your lovely reviews. It's more than a gal like me deserves lol. You'll have to forgive me if this makes little sense. I'm doped up on medication and there's every chance I've just rambled on...and on...and on...lol.

* * *

Chapter 27

Paul lifted his head from the soft, crisp white pillows. His eyes flickered open as they adjusted to the pink hues of the sunlight streaming through the curtains. Peering around the room, he felt his head pounding and he let out a groan knowing he was going to feel like shit on the flight. Bleary eyed, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The room started to spin in front of him and Paul was about to lay back down when he felt the nausea rise to his throat. He ran to the bathroom just in time to lean over and throw up into the toilet bowl. Once his stomach was empty, he flushed and slumped down to the floor, bringing his knees to his chest. His throat felt raw and he had a disgusting taste in his mouth. He was desperate for some water but he didn't have the energy to move. Instead he leant back against the cool tiled wall and closed his eyes.

Vague recollections of the previous night flashed through his mind. Paul could remember everything up to a point. He remembered going to the bar and he remembered getting drunk in some lame attempt to block out the pain because it was tearing him up to be away from his family. Sure he'd been away before and sometimes for a few weeks at a time but this was different. He had left on bad terms with his wife and his departure from her felt sort of permanent. At least it felt that way in his heart.

Paul sighed heavily and placed his head in his hands. His fingers clutched his blonde hair tightly as he realised that quite frankly, he didn't know what he was doing anymore. It was definitely becoming harder to justify his actions to himself especially after his phone call with Ellie last night. His daughter was hurting and it was entirely his fault. He was the one who had walked out on her. He was the one causing her pain and for what? A fucking picture and some ridiculous notion that the same picture somehow proved Stephanie had been having this affair behind his back. Paul reached up and rubbed his temples. Maybe he was just a bitter and jealous asshole. Maybe he was imagining things that weren't even there. But even as he thought that, Paul knew he hadn't imagined the look in Stephanie's eyes as she smiled at Mark in that photograph. There was definitely something there that proved there was more than simple friendship between them. Something that he just couldn't get past no matter how hard he tried. And then of course there was the fact his wife was perfectly content keeping secrets from him.

"Feeling rough?"

Paul jumped at the sound of his voice. He hadn't even known Shane was here in his hotel room. How the hell did he get here and when? Paul pushed back his hair and looked up to see him leaning against the doorway. "I feel like shit actually." he admitted hoarsely.

Summoning what little energy he had left, Paul pushed himself up the wall and walked gingerly in the direction of the sink. The room was still moving and there was every danger he could throw up again. He turned on the faucet splashing the cold water on his face in a vain attempt to somehow feel a little better.

"You look like shit too."

Paul scowled at Shane's comment as he lifted up the towel beside the sink and dried himself off.

"God knows how much you drank last night. You were out of it by the time I managed to drag your ass back to the room."

Paul felt a pang of guilt as he flung the towel down. It was obvious by Shane's appearance that was well as escorting him back here, he'd also stayed the night with him. His clothes were a crumpled mess and his eyes looked tired, pretty much a mirror image of how he was looking right now only Shane didn't look like complete shit. "Sorry, man." he said contritely.

And he was sorry. Sorry for getting drunk. Sorry for getting his brother in law involved in this mess in the first place.

"Don't worry about it. You can do the same for me some time." Shane said, smiling.

"Yeah, well hopefully you won't be dumb enough to find yourself in this predicament." Paul shot back as he rubbed his forehead wearily.

"Then can I ask why?"

"Why what?" he replied as he brushed past Shane and walked back through to the bedroom. He sat back down on the small double bed. He wasn't sure he could have stayed standing for very much longer. His knees were trembling so badly they felt like jelly. Paul picked up the bottle from the nightstand and took a drink of water. The cool liquid provided relief to his hot throat.

Shane sighed as he approached him slowly. Paul obviously wasn't in the best frame of mind right now but he needed to talk to him. He needed to find out what was going on in that head of his if he had any chance in hell of fixing this. Shane sat down on the chair opposite the bed where he had spent the better part of the night and decided to bite the bullet and ask the question that had been at the back of his mind ever since his mother had called him yesterday. "Why are you doing this, Paul? Why are you even going on this tour?"

Paul let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his big hands across his face. He absently scratched at his beard knowing he didn't really want to talk about this but he knew Shane deserved an answer. Stephanie was his sister. He was concerned about her which was understandable. That and Shane was a McMahon and a common trait in the McMahons was their stubbornness. Vince had it. Steph was the same way and of course so was her brother. They were like a dog with a bone until they got what they wanted and experience told him it was a battle of wills he was never going to win. Shane wouldn't let this drop until he talked. So he reckoned his only option was to do just that especially if he had any hope in hell of making his flight in a couple of hours.

"Steph and I just need some space right now." Paul explained, his brown eyes flickering with his sadness.

"I see. Can I ask why?"

"She lied to me Shane." he sighed as lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "She lied to me about Mark. Do you know she never even told me they had dated? According to her, they were just friends. Well you don't go around fucking kissing your friends."

"Stephanie kissed him?" Shane asked, his eyes widening with his surprise.

"According to Mark she did. According to my wife, Mark kissed her. Go figure." Paul replied, shaking his head and sighing. "And of course it didn't help that Steph never even told me about the damn kiss. Oh no. She thought it would be better to keep it a secret from me."

"So how did you find out about it?"

"I accidentally overhead the pair of them talking one day. Do you know how that made me feel? To know my own wife not only kissed another guy but she felt the need to keep that from me? Because if it meant nothing like she said, Shane then why not admit what had happened in the first place. Why not tell me the guy had kissed her?"

"Fair point. But saying that, you know, Steph." Shane replied as he tried to reason with his brother in law. "You know she hates any kind of confrontation and trust me, I know sometimes that's hard to believe. God knows she puts up one hell of a front but the truth is my little sister isn't as tough as she likes to make out. She hates fighting Paul and she hates fighting with you, of all people. You know that. So the thought of telling you about the kiss will have freaked her out. Not because she wanted to keep it a secret but she was scared of your reaction. She didn't want you getting angry with her or being upset with her."

Paul shook his head defiantly. "I wouldn't have been upset Shano."

"Are you kidding me?" Shane shot back as his brown eyes looked at him pointedly. "Paul, be honest. I know you. I know how you feel about Steph and I also know how you would feel about another man putting his hands on her. You would have seen red the second the confession left Steph's mouth."

Paul wore a sheepish expression unable to deny the truth any longer as he sighed, pushing his hand through his hair. "I'm that transparent, huh?"

"When it comes to her, yes you are. You always have been." Shane smiled as he lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "You love her, Paul so much so sometimes it affects your ability to think clearly."

"And you think this is what this is?" Paul shot back throwing his hands in the air suddenly feeling defensive as his actions appeared to be in question. "That me going on this tour is because I can't think clearly over her?"

Shane shook his head quickly. "No. I never said that."

"Good because you don't know the truth, Shane. You don't know what the fuck has been going on between my wife and that fucker across the street!" Paul cried and he closed his eyes as the pounding in his head intensified. His fingers began to make small circles against his temples as he seriously contemplated curling up in a ball and dying right now. God knows it had to be better than feeling like this and rehashing the fucking disaster that was his life right now.

"You're right. I don't know. So why don't you tell me."

"What's the point? It's not going to change anything." Paul said as lifted his head and opened his eyes. His arms felt heavy as they dropped to his sides.

"Well maybe I need to understand." Shane told him simply. "Maybe I need to try and get my head round all of this Paul because honestly, I can't believe Stephanie would cheat on you."

Paul's face fell at his admission. "You know about that?"

"You of all people should know how quickly news travels in this family." Shane replied with a tight smile. "Mom told me. She talked to Stephanie yesterday. In fact she went over to the house to see her."

Paul sighed as he tentatively asked the question that had been preying at the back of his mind ever since he had walked out of the house yesterday. "And how was she?"

"Not good, Paul." Shane admitted. "Not good at all."

Paul pressed his lips together tightly not sure how knowing that made him feel inside. On one hand he was glad he wasn't the only one suffering right now. On the other, it pained him to know that his wife was hurting and upset. God knows he never could bear to see her in her any sort of visible distress. Every tear was like a kick to his gut especially when he was the reason those tears were shed in the first place, tears he felt like shedding himself every single time he thought about her.

"Yeah well I know how that goes." Paul sighed, raking his fingers through his messy strands. As his hand dropped back to his lap the sun caught the ridge of his wedding band and it glinted back at him almost taunting him and reminding him of the vows he'd made to Stephanie nearly seven years ago. He'd promised to love and cherish her for better or for worse. His heart had never imagined the worse being the possibility of the woman he adored slipping away from him because Stephanie meant everything to him. She had always been enough for him. It just hurt him to know he obviously wasn't enough for his wife. How could he be when she had feelings for someone else, someone who simply wasn't him.

"So why are you doing this, Paul?" asked Shane interrupting his thoughts once more and Paul lifted his head, blinking as he focused on the man sitting in front of him, watching him carefully. "What makes you think my sister would ever dream of betraying you like that?"

"I saw a photograph." Paul told him half expecting Shane to laugh in his face because actually saying it out loud made it sound ridiculous. And it would have been ridiculous if he hadn't seen the proof for himself, proof that compounded with Stephanie's need to keep everything a secret from him made a very good case for his wife's infidelity. But Shane didn't laugh and his simple nod instead of the baffled look he had expected made Paul roll his eyes knowingly.

"I take it from your less than surprised expression that you heard all about that too." he surmised.

"The McMahon women, Paul. Nothing is sacred." Shane replied with a hint of a grin.

Paul shook his head lightly, faintly bemused despite his inner turmoil. "So it seems."

"And this photograph? I assume it was incriminating in some way?"

He nodded. "It was the way she looked at him, Shane." Paul sighed sadly and as that image of Stephanie and Mark flashed through his mind, he briefly closed his eyes shutting it out. He didn't want to see it. He didn't want to remember because every time he did he swore he died a little more inside. "See I know that look." he continued as his brown orbs lifted, settling on Shane once more. "It's the same way Steph looks at me. Or at least she did once upon a time."

"She still does Paul." smiled Shane sadly.

"Yeah? Well it's obvious she cares about this guy. Fuck, she could even love him. And then of course there is the history between them."

"What history?" Shane replied matter of fact as he frowned. "Look they only dated for a couple of months at the most and from what I gather it was pretty much one sided. The truth was Mark was infatuated with Stephanie. Unfortunately for him those feelings were definitely not reciprocated or least not in the way he wanted them to be."

"But she never told me, Shane. Steph never mentioned they were together." Paul said.

"Well that only goes to show how important he was to her. Or not important as the case may be."

"Or Stephanie had something to hide." he shot back.

Shane rolled his eyes incredulously in response. "Paul, come on. Don't be ridiculous." he cried.

"I'm not being ridiculous, Shane. Stephanie obviously wants to be with the guy. Why else would she refuse to stay away from him when I specifically asked her not to and not only that, she's sneaking him to the house when I'm not there. For all I fucking know he could be there now."

Paul felt the knots in his stomach twist tightly at that thought. Just the very idea of Stephanie being anywhere near that ugly fucker made him want to absolutely puke. That and punch his face in. God knows he'd been itching to do that the second he'd clapped eyes on the guy.

"You know I should have trusted my instincts the first time I met Mark." Paul said voicing his thoughts out loud. "I didn't like him and I didn't trust him near Stephanie. Not one little bit. The way he would look at her. Do you know she's even the spitting image of his missing wife?"

"Steph is?" asked Shane.

Paul nodded his head.

"That's fucking creepy."

"Yeah well so is he. Mark is a fucking creep who's taken great delight in screwing with me and my family. In fact I think he gets off on it." Paul said as he leant back rubbing his fingers over his temples which continued to throb relentlessly and this conversation about Mark wasn't doing his headache any favours. In fact all it was doing was fuelling his anger and his need to bash the guy's face in. As Paul glanced over at Shane, he saw the look of bewilderment on his face. It was no wonder the boy wonder was confused. His head had to be spinning. Paul knew his was. His life had felt like one giant soap opera lately. God knows what it sounded like to Shane.

"You know, you could be on to something there." his brother in law suddenly announced.

"On to what?" Paul asked impatiently, too hung over to think straight any more or even at all. "What are you talking about?"

"Mark. Maybe he is screwing with you."

"What? How?"

"I don't know." said Shane thoughtfully as he absently rubbed at his chin. "But something is going on, something that's been bugging me all night. You know it's almost like he's trying to twist things, mess with your head. I mean you said yourself Mark said Steph kissed him but she denied that was the case."

Paul nodded. "According to Steph it was the other way round."

"And did you believe her when she told you that?"

"Well, yeah." he admitted softly, nodding his head once more.

"So why don't you believe her now when she's denying cheating on you?"

"We've already gone over this, Shano." sighed Paul as he raked his fingers through his hair. "The camera doesn't lie."

"But neither does Steph. You know that, Paul and so do I, which is why I'm starting to doubt that picture is even legit."

"Oh it's legit all right and I should know. It's engrained in my fucking mind. And do you know what really ticks me off." ranted Paul as he stood up from the bed and walking a few steps he turned to look in Shane's direction. "The fucker had the audacity to hand deliver it to my house. He even had the nerve to come on my property and do that."

"I told you. He's messing with you."

Shane got up from his chair and joined Paul to stand in the middle of the small hotel room.

"Makes you wonder what else he's messed with too." he added.

"What do you mean?"

Shane's brown eyes sparkled back with clarity. "Maybe Mark messed with the photograph. I mean he wanted you to see it didn't he? In fact he went to great lengths to make sure you did."

Paul's brow furrowed with his frown. "Yeah but I still don't get what you're trying to tell me."

Shane rolled his eyes dryly throwing his hands in the air in mock frustration. "That's because when it comes to computers and such like, you are a little….how shall I put it? Technologically retarded?" he grinned.

His brother in law scowled back in reply. "Gee thanks Shane. Kick a guy when he's down."

"You know what I mean and can't you see what I'm getting at?" Shane asked, animated. "There's every chance Mark rigged that photo Paul. He's made it look like he and Steph are together."

"But why would he do that?"

"Why do you think? He wanted to get a reaction out of you." he explained, gesturing in Paul's direction. "He wanted to make sure he caused trouble between you and Steph."

Paul rolled his lips together thoughtfully. "You think so? For real?"

Shane nodded his head. "And the more I think about the whole thing, the more it makes sense. A lot more sense than Steph messing around behind your back anyway. She loves you Paul. I just don't see her throwing your marriage away like that. Not now. Not ever."

"But you would say that." Paul smiled tightly. "She's your sister."

"And she's your wife, Paul. Doesn't that count for something?"

"Of course it does." he scowled.

"Then prove it. Talk to Steph." pleaded Shane. "Work this out because if you've got any doubts, Paul, any doubts at all that the photo Mark sent you isn't real, then you owe it to her to at least try."

He watched as Paul bowed his head and silently pondered over everything he just said. He'd hoped he'd gotten through to him because the more he thought about their conversation the more Shane was convinced he was right. Hell, he knew he was right if only for the fact that Mark rigging the photograph was the only thing that made any sense to him. It certainly wasn't Stephanie cheating on Paul. He knew his sister. He knew how much she loved her husband and she would never jeopardise that love, ever. Not when he knew how much Paul truly meant to her and he'd seen for himself how much shit the two of them had endured in the beginning just to be with one another and there was no way his sister would just forget all that and risk losing Paul. She wouldn't. Not for her and not for the kids and Shane honestly believed that and he knew Paul believed it too, deep down. His jealousies and insecurities had just made him forget it for a while. He had doubted his marriage and that was all thanks to Mark. The guy had played Paul well if his theory was correct. Now they just had to find a way to prove Mark was a liar and the obsessed freak he was clearly turning out to be.

"Come on, Paul. You guys belong together." sighed Shane as he raked his hands through his hair. "I know it. You know it too if you'd just get your head out of your ass and stop feeling so damn sorry for yourself."

Paul lifted his head sharply and his brown eyes narrowed in Shane's direction. "Don't hold back on my account, will you?"

"I'm serious, Paul. You need to fix this."

He let out a sigh knowing Shane was right. He did need to fix this if only for the simple fact it was killing him to be without Stephanie and the kids especially now when he was beginning to doubt his own reasons for leaving them. They had seemed so valid at the time but now after talking to Shane he suddenly wasn't so sure. His hurt and anger at what he thought was proof of an affair had clouded his judgement and Shane was right when he accused him of being irrational. He had been irrational. He had refused to believe or even listen to Stephanie when she had tried to tell him her side of the story. Instead he'd held the moral high ground accusing her of lying to him and trusting a photograph when what he should have been doing was putting his trust in his own wife. A wife he loved with all his heart and every second he spent without her felt like an eternity and that was when Paul realised he couldn't do it. He couldn't go to Europe on the tour. Not now. Not after this.

"Think your dad will be pissed if I bail out on him?" he asked Shane and his reply was the huge grin that crossed his brother in law's face.

"Trust me. He'll be over the moon. You're doing the right thing, Paul."

"I know." he agreed as he offered Shane a nervous smile.

Inside, his stomach was churning in anxious anticipation. He wasn't sure what was waiting for him back home but one thing was for sure. He had to sort this out and he had to believe there was a chance Shane was right. God knows the more he thought about it, the more he could believe it was true. Maybe Mark had been fucking with his head all along. And as happy as he would be if that was the case, part of him would be devastated too. He had let Stephanie down badly. After all he was the one who had lost faith in her and their marriage. He hadn't trusted her and he just prayed he could find some way to fix it and make her believe in him again, in them. He had to hope Stephanie could forgive him because God knows if it turned out he'd put her through all that hurt and pain for nothing, he didn't know if he could be able to forgive himself.


	28. Chapter 28

Thanks for all your requests guys. This one topped the list and for all you younger readers out there, I'd better do my bit and warn you that there is a little bit of violence in this one. :)

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Chapter 28

She'd spent most of last night waiting to confront him. Now that moment was here, Stephanie felt her courage start to slip.

Letting out a shaky breath, her footsteps faltered on the pathway to Mark's house. The accusations she'd worded perfectly in her mind were suddenly jumbled and confused as the gentle morning breeze blew through her hair. God, she hated this. She hated confrontations which was probably the reason she was in this mess in the first place. If she'd just had the guts to be straight with Mark like Paul had asked her to. He'd warned her Mark was trouble and she hadn't listened to him. Still, it had been hard with the guy just losing his daughter. Mark had needed someone to lean on. His emotions were all over the place and she was sympathetic to that. His head was a mess too. Although not such a mess that Mark didn't know what he was doing to her and her marriage. The photograph alone was proof of that.

Feeling her anger towards Mark start to bubble to the surface once more, Stephanie strode purposefully up the remainder of the path. Her fingers gripped the photograph in her left hand tightly as her right hand reached to ring the bell and her feet shifted impatiently as she waited for the door to open. As she stood there, Stephanie's eyes absently darted towards her own home. The red tiled roof hovered above the tall oak trees and Stephanie hoped she was back before Linda returned from the school run and a quick visit to her home. Thankfully she'd offered to take Jake with her this morning allowing her to do this without raising her mother's suspicions. She didn't want her to know she was here. Her mother would only try and stop her if she knew she was coming to see Mark but she wouldn't be stopped. She couldn't even though her nerves were shot. The man was emotionally a potential walking time bomb. She didn't have a clue how Mark would react when she confronted him with the truth but it was something she had to do. Making Mark admit what he had done was the only way she could save her marriage. It was her only chance to make Paul come home to her and their family.

Ringing the bell once more, Stephanie rubbed her sweaty palm on the leg of her denim jeans as her mind drifted to her husband. She wondered where he was right now and what he was doing. God knows she missed him so much. Her heart physically ached without him yet at the same time part of her was so angry and disappointed in him. After all the years they'd been together and everything they had endured as a couple, Paul had refused to trust her making her question the strength of their marriage and their relationship. She'd always thought they were rock solid. She thought there was nothing they couldn't get through together. As it turned out, she couldn't have been more wrong especially when Paul had bolted on a month long tour at the first sign of trouble.

"Stephanie."

She jumped as Mark's voice slightly startled her. She'd been so lost in her thoughts of Paul she hadn't even heard him open the door to her.

"This is a nice surprise." he smiled as Stephanie turned to acknowledge him. Her determined blue eyes narrowed in his direction.

"We need to talk." she told him abruptly.

Mark's brow raised in surprise at her unusual tone with him. "Sure. Come on in." he said as he stepped aside to let her pass.

Stephanie felt the blood beat in her ears as the door clicked shut behind her and she followed Mark into the large sitting room. It was surprisingly neat and tidy and the low rays of the winter sunshine filtered through the open blinds. As Stephanie's eyes darted around in front of her, she was aware of the absence of the baby and the eerie stillness she could feel in the house making her momentarily wonder where the child was and if she was okay at least.

"Is Chloe still asleep?" she asked curiously.

"Oh she's not here." Mark informed her as he hovered by the sofa. "Debbie's parents offered to keep her overnight. They're bringing her home later today."

Stephanie nodded somewhat relieved as he gestured to the large wingback chair she lingered beside.

"Take a seat."

"Actually I'd rather stand." she told him as she raked her fingers through her hair nervously and she could see Mark's mouth down turn into a troubled frown as he watched her.

"Is everything okay?" he asked her.

"Actually no." Stephanie said pressing her lips together in a tight smile.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Are you?" Stephanie shot back.

"Of course I am. Steph what's going on with you? What's this about?"

"Oh I think you know." she said as her foot tapped beneath her, her movements betraying her careful facade. She was so angry with Mark but she had to stay calm somehow. Flying off the handle wasn't going to achieve anything and it wasn't going to get her any answers either.

"Know what?" asked Mark as he raked his hand through his short dark hair clearly confused about what was going on. Stephanie shook her head as she glowered in his direction.

"Look, don't try and play the innocent with me. What was the idea of this?" she asked as she thrust the photograph in his direction.

But Stephanie was left even more frustrated when Mark observed the picture for a moment before lifting his left shoulder in a casual shrug. If he was flustered in any way at being called out, he concealed it well. "I saw it and thought it was a nice photo of you. I thought you should have it."

"What?" she snorted incredulously unable to believe the excuse he was giving her. The guy was full of shit and he must have thought she was zipped up backwards to fall for his pathetic lies. She honestly couldn't believe the audacity of the fucker. "If you wanted me to have it can you explain why you would address it to Paul and sneak it under the door?"

"Did I? I can't remember."

"Bullshit Mark!" she screamed.

Mark's eyes widened in shock at her outburst and Stephanie cursed herself under her breath. She was supposed to be staying calm here. She had to stay in control. It was the only way to get Mark to confess to anything. Letting out a slow breath, Stephanie tried her best to compose herself.

"Look, I know the truth, okay? So why won't you just admit it?"

"Admit what?" Mark shot back.

"Admit that photo never happened.

"But it did." he replied simply, smiling. "I'm holding it in my hand. I can see it with my own eyes."

Stephanie shook her head emphatically, furious that he was trying to play her for a fool here. What kind of moron did she think she was? All she'd ever done was show him some compassion and kindness and be a friend when he had needed one and how had he repaid her? He'd lied to her. He'd tried to break up her marriage. Well not any more. She was sick and tired of his endless games.

"Look Mark don't treat me like some fucking idiot." Stephanie said in a tight controlled voice as her blue eyes glared in his direction. "You know what I mean. That picture isn't real. You've rigged it to make it look like there was something going on between us."

"And why the hell would I do that?"

"You know why! You wanted to get to Paul. You wanted him to think you and I were together. Well congratulations! You succeeded! He's gone! Are you happy now?" Stephanie cried as she threw her hands in the air in frustration. Her fingers raked through her hair as she began to pace the floor in front of her, her anger building to the point that she couldn't keep still. This was all such a mess. A horrible fucking mess!

"You know Paul warned me about you but I stupidly refused to listen." she continued. "See I thought you were a friend. A friend I knew and grew up with. A friend I thought I could trust. How wrong was I?"

"Of course I'm your friend, Stephy. Look, you've got this all wrong."

"No I don't!" Stephanie shouted interrupting him as she whipped her head in Mark's direction. Her blue eyes were hard and cold and glinted with her rage as she stopped pacing to look at him. "You rigged that picture, Mark. I know you did."

"Yeah? Well where's your proof?" he sneered.

She fought the urge to slap the ugly grin from his face as she paused for a beat, holding onto her composure. "I found the original photo you used." she informed him. "It was a picture of me and my daughter. One you took by the way and I know that you've taken Ellie out and replaced her with yourself."

"Don't be ridiculous." Mark snorted as he shook his head but his grey eyes dropped to the floor and Stephanie knew right there and then she had him.

"Ridiculous? Oh I'm not the one being ridiculous!" she said as she took a few steps closer to him confronting him. "Just quit with the lies already and fucking admit what you did!"

"Like hell I will!"

"Fine! I'll just have to get the proof for myself."

Before Mark could even process her last sentence, Stephanie had pushed past him running out the door and towards the staircase. Her heart raced in her chest as she bounded up the steps two at a time.

"Stephanie!"

Her name echoed behind her and the sound of Mark's footsteps quickly accompanied it. He was coming after her. Panic gripped Stephanie's chest as she headed along the long narrow hallway and towards the spare bedroom where she knew his computer equipment was. Christ, she hoped the room had a lock on the door or she was in serious shit. She could feel Mark was right behind her but she didn't dare look back in case it cost her some valuable time. But fuck, what on earth was she doing?

Stephanie pushed that thought from her mind as she approached the door. Now wasn't the time to doubt herself or her actions. She was grateful to see the door was open a crack. The way her whole body was shaking, she didn't trust herself to even turn the door handle. The blood was beating hot in her ears as she pushed the door open and entered the spare room slamming it shut behind her. Her eyes searched frantically for a lock and she was never more grateful than when she saw the shiny gold snib in front of her. Her trembling fingers reached for it and somehow managed to turn it as Mark's fist pounded on the door. She jumped back, startled and frightened.

"Let me in, Stephanie. I'm warning you!"

Stephanie let out a slow shaky breath as she began to back away from the door. She tried her best to ignore the persistent banging on the white laminated wood as she located the open laptop on the large computer desk. She raced over and her finger jabbed at the power button switching it on.

"I'm going to break this fucking door down if you don't open it up right now." Mark threatened through the door.

Stephanie looked anxiously at the screen as she waited for it to spring into life. Her stomach was a mass of tight knots. It was safe to say she was pretty fucking terrified right now and coming up here had definitely not been on the agenda. It had been an impulse. An impulse she had followed the second she realised Mark wasn't going to admit the truth. So this was her only choice. This was her only way of getting the proof that she needed to convince Paul she wasn't a liar and that she wasn't cheating on him. Please God, he believed her and this whole mess could finally be over and she swore down she would stay away from Mark for good this time. His pain and his grief over his daughter wasn't her concern. Not any more. Not after this.

The door shook behind her once more as Mark screamed her name. Stephanie felt the chill up her spine as the logo flashed up on the screen and the desktop appeared.

"Thank God!" she cried as she pushed back the seat and her blue eyes quickly scanned the icons in front of her as she began her search. Her finger clicked on the mouse frantically as she looked for the files she desperately needed. "Come on. Where are you?" she muttered to herself.

Suddenly there was a loud thud at the door and Stephanie let out a terrified scream. She spun in her seat and her eyes went wide when she saw the cracked wooden panel.

Mark was literally breaking the door down and a frightened whimper escaped from her lips as he hit it again splitting the wood even further.

"Please no!" she whispered as a tear escaped from her lashes spilling down her cheek. She could hear Mark scream in rage and fear clutched at her chest as she questioned her own sanity for coming up here. He was clearly closing the plot and God knows what he was capable of. But she had to try and focus. She had to get what she came here for.

Another tear trickled down her cheek. Stephanie blinked furiously batting away the rest that threatened to fall as she turned back to the computer beginning her search once more. She was strong damn it. She could do this. Behind her she could hear the wood splintering but she tried her best to blot it out as she located the folder marked photos. Her whole body was shaking and her finger struggled to click on the mouse as she opened it up. As the thumbnail images appeared on the screen, the door burst open behind her and Stephanie jumped out of her seat in shock. Her knees felt like jelly as she slowly backed away from Mark who was approaching her with a triumphant look on his face. He was like a predator stalking his prey as he walked towards her, his eerie smile making him look almost maniacal.

"That was a stupid thing that you did, you know." he said as he shook his head.

Stephanie's breath hitched in her throat as he stopped in front of her, his grey eyes appraising her carefully. She could feel herself quivering as she reached the corner of the room, now trapped by the walls behind her.

"I mean it's not like you were going to find anything anyway. You really think I'm that dumb?"

Stephanie flinched away as his hand reached for her face, her cheek pressing against the cold wall in her attempt to distance herself from him. Mark's amused laugh echoed in the silent room as he shook his head.

"Stephy, Stephy. Why do you insist on fighting me?" he asked as he reached for her once more, this time cupping her cheek as Stephanie's tears washed down her face. His thumb grazed her skin wiping them away making her stomach churn nauseously as she stood before him, helpless. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, its beat frantic with her fear. For the first time in her life, she felt absolutely terrified. God, how she wished Paul was here to save her. She needed her husband more than anything. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to make this all go away.

"If you'd only accept we're meant to be together, you and I." said Mark as his thumb now found her bottom lip pulling across the soft flesh roughly and causing Stephanie to wince in pain.

"We are meant to be together, Stephanie. I had to make you see that. I had to make you see that no one loves you like I do."

"Paul loves me!" Stephanie spat back defiantly. In spite of her fear, her natural instincts had taken over, the natural instinct to defend herself and survive. Whenever she felt threatened, she came back fighting with every breath in her body and if Mark thought she was going to take this laying down, he was sadly mistaken.

But that bravado only lasted for a split second as Mark's fingers clutched Stephanie's face in his hand, gripping her jaw tightly and pressing her head against the smooth wall.

"Fuck Paul! And don't you ever say his name to me again, you hear me?" he shouted.

His angry cry intimidated her and Stephanie squeezed her eyes together tightly as underneath her, she could feel her legs tremble.

"He doesn't deserve you, Stephy. He doesn't care about you like I do." he told her gently.

His quick shift in demeanour creeped her out making her momentarily think of the Jekyll and Hyde character she'd read about years ago. It was like two people were in the room with her. The calm, calculated man she knew and the crazy whack job that seriously thought she could ever care for him. As Stephanie felt Mark's forehead rest against hers she found herself praying to the man upstairs, bargaining with him to help her out here. She'd even go to church seven days a week if it meant getting away from this house and away from this man, this freak that had made her life a living hell.

"I mean look at what he did. He left you, baby." Mark continued as his free hand brushed back a loose strand of hair that had fallen into her eye, tucking it behind her ear and making Stephanie scream inside. "He abandoned you and the kids without a second thought. I would never do that to you because I love you, Stephanie. I need you."

Stephanie could feel Mark's grip loosen and the wave of relief she felt at her temporary reprieve was replaced by disgust as his lips brushed over hers. She deliberately turned her face away breaking the kiss and pushing away from him as much as she could.

"Please. Let me go." she gasped.

Mark's fingers squeezed on her skin as he forced her head back in his direction and his grey eyes narrowed as his heavy breaths chilled her skin. "Not until you say it."

"Say what?"

"Say you love me." he told her in a controlled voice but his facial expression was anything but. His eyes were big and manic. His smile was wide yet detached.

Stephanie's own blue orbs pleaded with him as her fear got the better of her. "Please Mark. I need to get home. My baby….."

"Your baby?" Mark cried silencing her as he looked at her oddly. "Since when did you give a fuck about the baby? I mean you left us, Deb! You fucking left us!"

As he glared at her, Stephanie felt her blood run cold. He had called her Deb, his ex-wife's name. The same woman who had walked out on Mark months ago abandoning her children and for the first time since she had found out that, Stephanie could sympathise with her because if this is what Debbie had to out up with, it was no wonder she bailed. Mark clearly had a screw loose or something. He was acting crazy and even Jamie's death was no excuse for his delusion right now.

"How could you do it Deb? How could you walk out on us like that?" continued Mark as he watched her. Again his expression had shifted and his earlier madness had been replaced by a visible sadness. It was enough to let his guard down and his hand dropped as he took a step back from Stephanie releasing his grip on her.

"I loved you. I thought you loved me too. Doesn't this mean anything to you?" he asked her as he lifted his hand.

His wedding band glistened as the metal rim caught the rays of daylight that shone into the room and as his head turned to look at the jewellery, Stephanie took her chance to make her escape. Her hands shot out to blindly push him aside as she bolted for the door. But she wasn't quick enough. Mark grabbed the ends of her hair making her scream in pain as he pulled her back towards him.

"You stupid bitch!" he cried as he shoved Stephanie back into the wall. As she let out a frightened gasp, it caught in her throat as Mark's hand swung out connecting hard with her cheek. Her head was violently thrown to the side with the force of the blow.

"How dare you run out on me?" he spat angrily. "How fucking dare you!"

His voice was a blur to her, like some distant echo as Stephanie felt the hot darts of pain in her face. Tears threatened to fall but she blinked them back defiantly determined not to cry. Although her face hurt like a son of a bitch, she wasn't going to give the bastard the satisfaction of seeing her broken. God knows her pride was about all she had left right now.

"You do know I have to teach you a lesson don't you because it's your fault Jamie's dead! If you'd only been here Deb, if you'd only been her mother, she might still be alive."

Stephanie lifted her head, shaking it slowly as she pleaded with him once more, hoping that somehow she could get through to him and make him see sense. She had no choice. There was nothing else she could do. "Please Mark, I'm not Debbie. I'm not your wife."

"Don't lie to me!" Mark screamed causing her to visibly jump. As their eyes met, she could see his face was contorted with his anger as his fingers reached for her hair. They threaded through the long brown strands before he tugged on them hard, yanking Stephanie's face towards him as he licked his lips. "I know who you are. Maybe you're the one that needs reminding."

Mark's mouth crashed hard against hers and Stephanie pressed her hands against his chest trying her best to wriggle free but his grip was too strong. The struggle was too painful as Mark clutched her hair even tighter and the palm of his left hand pushed her back into the hard wall. As her shoulder throbbed in protest, Stephanie's body began to shake with her sobs as Mark's mouth moved from her mouth to trail along her jaw.

"Don't resist me, Stephanie." he told her softly. "You'll only make it worse for yourself."

A strangled cry escaped from her lips as the sound of her own name echoed in her head. Mark no longer thought she was his wife but that still didn't stop him from kissing her or touching her. As he assaulted the column of her throat, Stephanie squeezed her eyes shut and a tear slipped through her lashes as his tongue licked her niche skin, tasting her.

"You taste incredible baby. Just the way I remember."

His big hand moved from her shoulder and Stephanie felt her stomach lurch in protest as it skimmed down the length of her body. Mark pressed himself against her as his mouth travelled further, following the v-lined neck of her sweater. Suddenly it became clear to Stephanie what his intentions were and she was hit with an overwhelming sense of danger as the reality of her situation came crashing down around her. Mark was going to attack her. Mark was going to strip her of her pride and her dignity in the worst way possible and she was powerless to stop it. After all what she could do? He overpowered her by at least a hundred pounds. Not only that, no one would hear her distress. They were here alone and she had been so stupid for coming here in the first place without at least leaving her mother a note or something. She would have no clue she was here. No one did. There was no one to stop Mark from taking what he wanted except for herself so somehow, some way she had to find the strength to stop him. But how?

Just then Mark's hand reached under her jumper and she could feel the heat of his fingers through the fine lace of her bra as he squeezed her breast hard before seeking out her nipple and pulling on it. Stephanie closed her eyes pushing back the nausea that rose from the pit of her stomach. His touch repulsed her and she could feel herself screaming inside. And that screaming only intensified as Mark pushed the hem of her sweater up her body. His mouth tasted her skin once more, licking the creamy mound of flesh that poked above her lingerie.

"Do you know how long I've waited for this?" he told her softly.

Stephanie whimpered in fear turning her head from him. Her eyes were still firmly shut as she felt his hand skim down her body once more. His mouth quickly followed, making a trail of wet kisses down her cleavage and that was when she felt his grip on her loosen. Mark's hand had dropped from her hair as his lips travelled even lower towards her stomach and Stephanie's eyes flickered open knowing this was her chance. This was her only opportunity to somehow get the fuck out here.

Clenching her teeth and grimacing at the feel of Mark's hands and mouth on her, Stephanie ignored the bile that rose to the back of her throat as she summoned every ounce of courage and strength she had. Tilting her gaze downwards, she quickly appraised where Mark was positioned and glaring at him hatefully she shot her foot out connecting hard with his groin.

His tortured cry of surprise and pain delighted her as Stephanie pushed him backwards and she didn't even stop to see where Mark landed as she blindly ran past him and towards the direction of the door. Tears blurred her vision and her heart pounded in her chest as she dashed out along the hallway.

"Come back here, you stupid bitch!" Mark screamed after her as his footsteps quickly followed.

Stephanie could feel her body tremble violently as she ran and panic gripped her chest as she bounded down the stairs hearing Mark right behind her. She swore her legs nearly gave way as she finally made it to the bottom and her hand reached for the door knob.

"Oh no you don't."

Stephanie shrieked in terror as Mark grabbed her arm preventing her escape as he hauled her back in his direction.

"You're not going anywhere you whore!"

His hand struck her across the face for a second time and Stephanie's neck jerked backwards as she felt the force of his blow. Her cheek burned with the pain and she swore she saw stars as tiny dots of light flashed across her eyes momentarily blurring her vision.

"Do you think I want to do this? Do you, huh?" Mark shouted and Stephanie became aware of a clanking of metal. Blinking furiously, she watched as Mark's hand unbuckled his belt.

"No!" she cried out in distress.

Mark's reply was a confident grin as he pulled down his zipper and stalked slowly towards her like this was all a fucking game to him. Stephanie let out a frightened whimper as her eyes frantically searched around her and she hazily registered a vase sitting on a small table next to the phone. It was definitely within her reach and right now, it was her only chance at stopping Mark.

"You're making me do this, Stephy. You're forcing me to teach you a lesson and to show you just how much I need you."

Stephanie flinched back as his face moved towards her. Her breaths were frightened pants as she realised Mark was going to kiss her again but knowing this was her only opportunity, she let his mouth meet hers. Stephanie ignored the brief metallic taste of blood and the stabbing pain in her bottom lip as she quickly glanced out the corner of her eye. Seeing her weapon, her hand blindly reached for it and with every ounce of strength she could muster, Stephanie bashed it hard against Mark's skull screaming in rage.

Mark stumbled backwards, his body falling against the bottom step of the staircase. Stephanie didn't look back as she pounced for the front door and fumbling with the handle, she eventually managed to open it. Her hair blew behind her in the wind as she bolted down the path and across the street. By the time she made it home, her chest burned with her laboured breathing. She briefly registered her mother's car was still missing from the driveway as she reached in her pocket for the house keys. Her hands were shaking and her fingers were trembling violently as she stabbed the key at the lock. It somehow opened despite her awkwardness and Stephanie was never so grateful to make it inside as she slammed the door quickly behind her, locking it once more.

Her feet scurried through the house as she bolted for the stairs. Stephanie's hand lifted covering her mouth as she felt her stomach lurch. Her dry heaves echoed in the silent hallway and Stephanie just made it to the bathroom in time to throw herself on the floor and vomit into the toilet bowl. Once her stomach was empty, she slid to the tiles and her body curled into a tiny ball as it shook with her strangled breaths and tears.

Stephanie didn't even hear the telephone as its shrill ring rang out in the bedroom across the hallway. The answering machine picked it up eventually and Paul's voice was drowned out by the sound of his wife's sobbing.

"Steph, hey. It's me. I thought I would catch you before my flight but I guess not. Anyways, I need to talk to you so will you call me when you get this message? Please. It's important."

There was a pause for a few seconds as Paul's heavy sigh crackled down the line.

"Bye Steph."

The loud clicking signalled the end of the call but Stephanie didn't hear that either as she continued to cry out in pain.


	29. Chapter 29

So I had no intentions of writing anything until I woke up this morning and got hit with an urge to finish this chapter. So when the voices talk to you, you gotta listen especially when the voices have been elsewhere lately lol. Hope you enjoy it btw. I also know I've been AWOL this last wee while and I apologise to anyone who is still waiting on feedback from me. I'm on the case I promise :) And for everyone that leaves a review for me, thank you so much. It's amazing how a comment or two can encourage you to get your ass in gear!

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Chapter 29

"Steph?"

Paul's voice echoed oddly around the foyer as he called out his wife's name. The house felt strangely silent as he dumped his bag on the floor and wandered through to the living room. Nothing appeared to have changed in the short time he had been gone. He wasn't sure he had expected it to change either but still his eyes gazed fleetingly around the spacious room observing it carefully and taking in his familiar surroundings. Everything was where it usually was. Nothing was missing. Their favourite wedding photograph was still in the solid silver frame and in the usual place and for some reason he found a great source of comfort in that. That and the various family pictures that accompanied it, evidence that Paul was still very much a part of this home and he hadn't been erased from it in any way. Jake's blue toy truck was in the middle of the floor and Paul absently picked it up wondering where Stephanie was. He knew the kids were with their grandparents and had been since first thing this morning. Apparently Linda had wanted to give Stephanie some peace and quiet and a chance to catch up on some rest. She hadn't been sleeping very well since he had been gone. In fact she hadn't been sleeping at all and Paul knew this because he had called his mother in law from the airport worried when he hadn't heard back from his wife. As well as the message he had left here at home asking her to call him back, he had also left messages on her cell phone but so far he had heard nothing from Stephanie and the truth was he hadn't wanted to just turn up here unannounced. After all he was the one who had left. He had no right to walk in uninvited if Stephanie didn't want him here. Although Linda seemed to think she did. Want him here that is which is why she had offered to keep the kids overnight so he and Stephanie would have the opportunity to talk to one another without any distractions. He had been grateful for that although Paul could only pray that Stephanie would give him that chance and listen to what he had to say. God knows it was more than he deserved after the way he had treated her.

Swallowing the guilty lump he felt in his throat, Paul wandered back into the front foyer briefly glancing at the truck in his hand before dumping it in the toy box that sat at the bottom of the stairs. The foyer was Jake's favourite area to play. The polished marble floor was the perfect place to race his various cars and trucks day and night so much so they'd given up returning them to the play room every evening. Instead they kept them down here in their special box, a blue and red box Ellie had painted for her baby brother with a little help from her daddy of course.

Paul's mouth curved into a smile at that memory as he ascended the stairs. But that smile faded when he saw the closed bedroom door at the end of the hall. It seemed to loom back at him ominously because it was never closed, at least not during the day. In fact even at night, the door remained partially open just in case one of the kids got up upset or came looking for them and either he or Stephanie failed to hear them. The only time that didn't happen was of course during sex. Personally he welcomed the lock and the privacy being he was against completely scarring his children for life. But that was the only time anyone got shut out. The fact the door was closed now worried him somewhat. He also wondered if he opened it, would he find Stephanie behind it?

"Steph?" he called out once more as he walked along the carpeted hallway to their bedroom. He could feel his anxiety rise the closer he got and that's when Paul realised he was nervous about seeing his wife. After all, who knew what kind of reception he was going to get? He hadn't spoken to Stephanie since he had walked out on her two nights ago and for all he knew, she could still be seriously pissed off with him and if that was the case, who could blame her? He was the idiot who had let a manipulative fucker like Mark get to him. He was the one that had let him get under his skin and in turn, it had affected his judgement. Paul had walked out on the woman he loved, the woman who was his life. He had stupidly lost his faith in her at a time when he should have trusted in her and their marriage. The vows they had made to one another almost seven years ago had meant something then and they meant something now. He had just forgotten that temporarily and now he was about to face the consequences of that fleeting moment of insanity. But it was a hit he was willing to take if it meant there was the chance of getting everything that was precious to him back in his life.

Paul stood in the middle of the floor chewing on his fingernail nervously. God knows he had to make this right. He couldn't fuck this up. If the last couple of days had taught him anything it was how much his family meant to him. He loved them. He couldn't live without them. He wanted to kick himself for letting Mark get to him. That jerk had well and truly pushed his buttons making him believe there was something going on. He had made him doubt his wife. He had him question his trust in her. But while Mark was partly responsible, Paul blamed himself. He had chosen to believe his wife was having an affair. He had been an idiot. A jealous and bitter idiot if he was being perfectly honest. He had refused to listen to Stephanie no matter how many times she had denied there was something going on. He would deserve it if the roles were now reversed and she refused to listen to him. Raking his big hand through his hair, Paul realised now that there was no doubt in his mind. Not a single one. Mark had been fucking with his head all along. Everything Shane had said to him this morning had made sense so much so he wondered why he hadn't seen it for himself. Stephanie had done nothing wrong and he owed her a huge apology. The question was whether she would accept it. He guessed there was only one way to find out.

Letting out a calming breath, Paul slowly made his way along the hallway and stopped outside their bedroom door. His hand hovered over the door knob. His heart was racing in his chest but its beat wasn't so overwhelming that he couldn't hear the sound of crying through the wood. Any hesitation he felt at seeing Stephanie slipped away when he realised her distress and he knocked briefly before opening the door.

"Steph?" he called out as he entered the bedroom.

His brown eyes widened in alarm when he was welcomed by her deep, guttural sobbing. Stephanie was crying her heart out. Glancing over at the bed, he saw his wife laying there, her body curled into a tiny ball and he raced over to sit down next to her, his arms instinctively reaching for her, to comfort her. But he was immediately startled by her panicked scream as Stephanie violently pulled away from him, her body scurrying across the covers as she retreated to the opposite end of the large bed.

"What the fuck?" Paul muttered under his breath as he stared after her in a stunned amazement. Stephanie stumbled to the floor as she slid off the corner of the mattress and her eyes appeared wild with fear as she looked back at him, wrapping her long arms around her body protectively. Paul's brow furrowed, etched with his concern. Stephanie was physically shaking. He could see her shoulders trembling in fear as she steadied herself on her feet and he shook his head in confusion. Why was she acting this way? Why was she so scared by him? What the fuck was going on?

"Stephanie?" he called out to her, panicked.

The familiar sound of her name from his lips got her attention. As Paul got to his feet he saw Stephanie lift up her head in his direction and blink a couple of times before her blue eyes flickered with recognition. Her face visibly relaxed and the fear that had consumed her slipped away to be replaced with a wariness and a visible hesitation to believe he was really standing there, like somehow her husband was a figment of her imagination and she was simply dreaming the whole thing up.

"Paul?" she asked timidly as her blue eyes narrowed in his direction, her head still slightly bowed from him.

Paul nodded as he slowly approached her, an unsure smile twitching at his lips. His arms ached with the need to reach for his wife but he physically held back. God knows the last thing he wanted to do was startle her again. She still resembled the frightened child he'd witnessed just a moment ago. Her eyes were big and wide despite being red and swollen from her tears. Her shoulders were hunched making her look small. Paul's fists clenched awkwardly at his sides as he came to stand in front of her. His fingers resisted the urge to push back the loose strands of hair that fell across her beautiful face.

"What….what are you doing here?" she asked him softly.

"I had to come home." Paul told her lifting his left shoulder in an awkward shrug. "I had to see you, Steph." he continued, his gentle expression holding his apology.

There was a beat until eventually Stephanie raised her head, fully meeting her husband face to face for the first time since he had entered the room. Paul's eyes drank her in like a desperate man thirsty for water but only for a moment until his expression faltered and his nose wrinkled with his scowl as he observed her swollen bottom lip and the bruised cut that blemished her perfect features.

"What the hell is that?" he asked her sharply.

His thumb tucked under her chin, lifting her mouth towards him. Stephanie instinctively batted his hand away, subconsciously backing away from her husband as her eyes darted around nervously.

"Nothing. I fell over. It's no big deal." she told him as her arm wrapped around her body once more.

"No big deal? Steph, your lip is bust open!"

"I know!" she cried back, sniffing and blinking back the hot tears that threatened to consume her once more. They consumed her each and every time she remembered the reason why she was cut in the first in place. God knows it was a reason she had tried to forget but unfortunately her mind appeared to want to torture her by reliving each and every detail of the attack. They were memories that haunted and tormented her.

"So what happened?" Paul asked her.

His simple question sent an icy chill down Stephanie's spine.

"I told you. I fell over." she informed him.

She jutted her jaw out defiantly trying her best to hold it together in front of her husband. It was taking all her strength not to rush into Paul's arms and hold him close. Close enough that he would chase all those horrible memories away.

"Yeah? Well I don't believe you." Paul said, his brow furrowing with his scrutiny as he continued to observe her.

It was a simple statement but Stephanie suddenly felt annoyed by it. In fact she could feel anger at his words slowly bubbling to the surface and it was an anger she was more than happy to embrace and hold on to. Because anger she could deal with. Anger stopped her tears and not crying in front of her husband might just also stop her from falling completely apart right now.

Stephanie's mouth curled into a scowl as her arms fell to her sides and she stared back at him challenging him. "I see nothing's changed there then." she shot back.

"And what does that mean?"

"What it means is why are you even here, Paul?" Stephanie asked him, throwing her hands in the air in despair. "Shouldn't you be half way to Europe right now? I mean that's what you were planning, right? Just to jet off and leave all your troubles behind. Or should I say your family behind."

Her blue eyes stared back at him accusingly and Paul held that stare for a second. It was a second long enough for him to see the flicker of pain reminding him he had hurt her and he dropped his head in shame suddenly unable to look at her. It was more than he could bear to see the reminder of his actions. It was even harder to bear knowing those actions had been completely unjustified.

"Yeah well I couldn't do it." he admitted in a low voice. "I couldn't go."

Paul tilted his head in his wife's direction only to see her looking back at him in confusion as her hands absently tightened the belt around her cream silk robe.

"What do you mean, you couldn't go?" she asked him.

"Just that." he sighed as he pushed his big hand through his hair causing the blonde strands to fall softly around his face. It was a face that was remorseful and contrite as it looked directly at the woman standing in front of him. A woman who he had let down badly and a woman that he prayed would somehow find it in her heart to forgive him.

"I couldn't leave you." he told her as he stepped forward and hesitantly reached for Stephanie's hand. He was encouraged by the fact she didn't flinch from his touch this time and his fingers loosely clasped hers. Her slender digits felt cold like ice and Paul instinctively held them a little tighter, wrapping them in his gentle warmth. "I was wrong, Steph. I made a mistake."

Stephanie lightly shook her head in confusion. "A mistake about what?"

"A mistake about you. A mistake about not trusting you."

Her blue eyes flashed a little darker and Paul felt his stomach knot with guilt. Guilt that once again recognised the ripple of pain in his wife's ocean blue pools. Pain that once again he was the sole cause of.

"I should have listened to you when you told me you weren't fooling around behind my back." he continued trying his best to explain himself. "I just got so angry and upset at the thought of you being with him. I acted like a total dick, Steph. I let my jealousy get the better of me."

Paul's voice faltered as he dropped Stephanie's hand and took a step back. His brown eyes briefly fell to the floor suddenly unable to look at her. He didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes, her disappointment in him and Stephanie's disappointment that he had been so fucking weak as to let his petty emotions get the better of him like that. They were emotions that were foreign to him or at least they had been until now. Now he was just that stupid fucking idiot that had lost his cool the second some other guy had looked in his wife's direction. Although Mark just wasn't some other guy and that was the problem. Another problem had been Stephanie's inability to be straight with him and honest. If she had been honest, maybe things would never have gotten this far although Paul knew this wasn't fair to pin this on her. Leaving had been his decision and his decision alone.

"Why the sudden change of heart, Paul?"

Stephanie's voice got his attention and Paul slowly lifted his head to look at her. He could see the trepidation in her face and hear the hesitation in her voice and he couldn't blame her one bit for being the one not able to trust him this time. He had done a complete one eighty on her but it was amazing the clarity you found when you took your own head out of your ass. Clarity that he had discovered thanks to Shano and despite the raging hangover he'd had this morning, a hangover that was still lingering despite the half packet of paracetemol he'd taken during the course of the day. Paul's fingers absently lifted to rub at his throbbing temples as Stephanie offered him a tight smile.

"I mean you were adamant I was having an affair a couple of days ago. What's happened to make you change your mind?"

"Shane." he told her simply as he lifted his shoulder in an apologetic shrug.

He gestured towards the bed and Stephanie nodded her head as she followed him over there. The mattress dipped underneath their weight as they both sat down, side by side on the crumpled covers. Paul was slightly hunched over as his forearms rested on his denim clad thighs and his fingers began to toy with the wedding band on his left hand. He always did that when he was nervous. That and he had to something to preoccupy the hands that were desperate to touch Stephanie, to hold her. But before he could even think about feeling his wife in his arms once more, he was due her an explanation.

"He talked some sense into me." Paul began as he tilted his head sideways and offered Stephanie a small smile. "He made me realise I've been played for a fool."

"Who's been playing you for a fool?"

"Mark."

He glanced away as his big hands lifted to rub over his weary face. Paul failed to see Stephanie flinch at the mention of his name or feel her whole body tense as she sat next to her husband.

"He's been fucking with my head." he continued briefly focusing on the carpeted floor. "He's been trying to make me think there's something going on between the pair of you. Something I should never have believed in the first place."

Paul's eyes travelled to meet his wife. His brown eyes were apologetic as he sat up, reaching for Stephanie and gently turning her in his direction. Her head was slightly bowed so he couldn't read her expression. He couldn't look into those incredible blue eyes of hers, eyes that would tell him the truth and let him know whether Stephanie believed him or not.

"Stephanie, look at me. Please." he pleaded with her as his hand enveloped hers and gripped it tightly.

There was a second's hesitation before Stephanie slowly raised her chin, her eyes briefly remaining closed before they gently fluttered open and Paul swallowed thickly, looking into them, silently begging her to forgive him.

"I've been an idiot, Steph. I've fucked up badly and I'm sorry. I should never have walked out on you and our kids. I should have trusted you."

"Yes, Paul. You should have." Stephanie shot back sharply, her face crumpling with her pain and her bottom lip trembling with her emotion as a solitary tear trickled down her cheek. "Because you hurt me you know. You hurt our children."

"I know." Paul hushed as his thumb lifted to wipe away her sorrow before lingering on her cheek and tracing the soft outline of her jaw. "I know and I'm so sorry, Steph. I really am. Forgive me?" he whispered desperately.

His brown eyes pleaded with his wife as they shone with his unshed tears and Stephanie felt any anger she had left slip away as she turned her face into the palm of his hand, nuzzling into him. God knows she didn't have the energy to fight with him over this any more. She didn't want to.

"Of course I forgive you. I have to." she whispered back as she closed her eyes relishing his touch and drawing solace from his presence. "Because I don't want to live without you, Paul. I can't. Not for one more second."

This time Stephanie didn't stop the tears that streamed down her face as Paul pulled her into his arms and held her. His gentle heat enveloped her, soothing her as she breathed in his familiar scent. Her fingers gripped onto him feeling her fear slowly start to slip away and for the first time that day Stephanie felt completely safe because that's what Paul did. He protected her and he kept her safe and God knows she needed to feel that way right now. She was so scared. In fact she felt fucking terrified every time she thought about what had happened this morning and she needed Paul more than she had ever needed him before. What had happened between them in the past was now just that. The past. Paul had seen sense and come home. That was all that mattered. Nothing else. He had apologised and she would be a fool not to accept that apology. She was sorry too. Sorry for not being completely honest with him in the first place. She knew that was a big part of the problem. Although forgiving her husband's mistrust in her and what they had together wouldn't be so easy but it would come in time. It had to. She had no choice. She loved Paul. He was her heart. In fact he was her everything.

"God, I love you baby. I don't deserve you." Paul breathed into her ear as his fingers tangled in her hair, brushing through the soft chestnut strands.

"Just promise me you won't leave like that ever again." Stephanie demanded.

"I promise." he told her, closing her eyes and holding her a little tighter as Stephanie sniffed back her tears, giving a light hiccup as she did so.

"And no more jumping to conclusions." she said, her voice slightly muffled against her husband's chest. "Just talk to me next time, please."

Paul shook his head agreeing to her request.

"Good. Because you can talk to me, Paul. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah. I know." he replied, kissing her hair, his eyes still closed as he enjoyed the feeling of simply holding his wife. God knows that was all his arms had ached to do since the moment he had walked out on her.

"Just like I know I can talk to you which is why I promise right here, right now, there will be no more secrets between us, okay?"

"Okay."

"And I want you know how sorry I am in my part in it all. Sorry for not being completely honest with you. Sorry for not listening to you and respecting your wishes. You come first, Paul. You and the kids always will."

Paul's warm lips brushed over her cheek as he rested his head against hers. Stephanie turned her face towards him, seeking out his mouth with her own. But as soon as they began to kiss, Stephanie hissed and pulled back, wincing in pain. Paul's brow furrowed with concern as her fore finger lifted to carefully dab at her bottom lip, bringing his attention back to her wound.

"Are you going to tell me what happened to cause that?" he asked her as his brown eyes appraised it carefully. The cut was small yet deep and a light purple bruising surrounded it, making her lip swollen and protruded.

"I told you. I fell over." Stephanie said casually shrugging but Paul felt anything but casual about it especially when her eyes were shifting around anxiously, glancing everywhere but at him. His wife was obviously hiding something from him, something she obviously didn't want him to find out which only raised his suspicions even more. It was bad enough he had found her in the emotional state she had been in earlier. Now she was really freaking him out by being like this. Letting out a calming breath before he completely lost his cool, Paul rubbed his hand over his stubbled chin feeling his headache start to return full force as he asked her one last time.

"Steph, tell me the truth. And while you're at it, try to remember what you just promised me about no more secrets between us."

"I remember." Stephanie glared back defiantly.

"Good. Then maybe you can remember how you busted open your lip"

Her silence spoke volumes to him as Stephanie stood up from the bed. She had only taken a couple of steps before Paul rose from his position too and reached for her arm, gently tugging her back to him determined to find out the truth. That's when Stephanie's silk robe slipped from her shoulder and Paul couldn't help but notice the dark purple bruising that adorned her arm. It was a stark contrast to her creamy pale skin and the closer Paul looked the more he realised it was bruising that looked suspiciously like fingers. Three fingers that had roughly grabbed his wife or at least that's what it looked like to Paul.

"Stephanie what the fuck is going on?" he asked, his nostrils flaring with anger and his stomach churning nauseously at the thought of anyone putting a hand on Stephanie and hurting her in any way. "And please don't lie to me." he begged as he lifted his eyes from the bruising to her face.

Her tears alarmed him as they washed down her face like water. Her eyes were wide and scared and Paul felt the fear that they held slowly creep into his heart as he gently lifted her robe over her shoulder once more. He didn't want to see the bruising any more. It sickened him to look at the marks. It sickened him to know that someone did this to her. The same someone that twisted his stomach into tight knots every time he thought about him. He knew who had done this to Stephanie. He wasn't fucking stupid. Everything was falling into place from Stephanie's bruises to her emotional state both when he walked in the room and now. He just needed her to say his name. He just needed the validation before he went over there and kicked the living shit out of him.

"Stephanie?" Paul pleaded with her again urgently.

She slowly shook her head. "Please. Don't make me do this." she asked as she pressed her lips together tasting her salty tears.

Stephanie didn't want to tell Paul. She couldn't. Not only was she ashamed at her stupidity at going over there in the first place, she was terrified of what would happen once her husband knew the truth. Because while Paul was usually a rational guy, when it came to anyone screwing with his family, that rationality went out the window. Nothing was off limits when it came to defending or protecting his wife and kids and while that thought usually made her proud, right now she was so frightened. Paul would kill Mark when he got his hands on him. She was sure of it just like she was sure that she would lose him all over again to a justice system that would be intent on punishing him for his actions. And she couldn't risk that. She simply wouldn't survive it.

"It was him, wasn't it?"

Paul's voice was low and controlled yet still betrayed his anger. His brown eyes flickered black with his rage. His shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breathing as his fists clenched tightly by his side.

"Just say his name, Steph."

"I can't!" she cried as she choked back a sob.

But her sobbing turned to blind panic as Paul spun on his heel and walked out of the room.

"I'm going to fucking kill him!" he growled enraged as he stormed down the hall.

"Paul, no!"

Stephanie chased after him, her heart racing with her anxiety as her hand absently wiped at her wet cheeks. This is exactly what she had been afraid of. She knew exactly what her husband was capable of and she had to find some way of stopping him.

"Paul, please!" she cried as she raced down the hallway, grabbing his arm at the top of the stairs.

Stephanie spun him round to face her but when she did, her breath hitched in her throat alarmed. The man in front of her didn't resemble her husband. In fact she'd never seen Paul like this before. The look in his eyes was manic and out of control. Yet his handsome features were oddly determined and cold. Her tongue flicked out licking her lips, her mouth suddenly feeling horribly dry.

"Don't go over there." she pleaded. "Please, Paul. You're only going to make things worse."

Her big blue eyes begged him to listen to her but any hope of whatever reaction she had expected from him quickly disappeared as Paul shrugged her off and continued his descent down the stairs.

"Paul!"

Her desperate scream followed him through the front foyer and out the front door until the loud slam echoed around the empty house silencing it and signalling her husband's hasty departure.

"Please Paul!" she cried helplessly to no one, her frightened breaths and tears turning into deep sobs as Stephanie crumpled to the stairs, her body slumping to defeat knowing there was nothing she could do to stop him. Paul was going after Mark. Paul was going to kill him. Her shoulders shook violently as she cried. She cried for her children. She cried for Paul and somewhere along the line she cried for herself too.

But Stephanie could only wallow in her own sorrow for a brief moment. She jumped startled as the shrill ringing of the telephone got her attention. Hastily wiping the back of her hand across her face, Stephanie got to her feet and gulped back the tears that still threatened to fall. There was every chance it was her mom calling and the last thing she wanted or needed was alarm bells to start ringing if she didn't pick up. She raced along the hallway to answer the call gathering her composure along the way.

Rushing into the bedroom, she picked up the receiver struggling to catch her breath as she heard the voice at the other end.

"Hello? Steph?"

"Shane!" she cried out with relief and immediately decided his call was a sign or an intervention or whatever you wanted to call it because if anyone could talk sense into Paul right now, it was her older brother. He'd done it already in getting her husband to come home. Maybe now he could persuade Paul that spending the next twenty years behind bars just wasn't worth it, not for a fucking scumbag like Mark because their kids needed their father. She needed her husband.

"Is everything okay?" her big brother asked her.

Stephanie absently shook her head at Shane's question as she struggled to find her voice. "Shane, I need your help. Paul's gone after Mark."

She didn't need to say another word.

"I'm on my way." he informed her.

The click at the other end signalled the end of the call and Stephanie still clutched the receiver in her hand as she dropped to the bed, her legs suddenly feeling terribly unsteady and her whole body lightly trembling as she silently prayed Shane would get here in time.


End file.
